Reduced Fat Almond Thumbprint Cookies

I’m on the mom diet lately, which is as follows in my world:

  • Tea and cereal in the morning for breakfast. Today was oatmeal because we are out of milk until I hit the store later. Also, the lack of milk meant it was Earl Grey today. Fancy organic fair trade earl grey.
  • Maybe something for lunch if I remember, like a slice of havarti and some crackers, or maybe a banana or a pear or a granola bar.
  • Some sort of snack when Kale naps in the afternoon. Occasionally I get motivated and make a lovely lunch with leftovers or perhaps a sandwich with my homemade bread, or whatever. More often than not, its a cup of tea and a cookie or two or five.
  • Dinner is in between 7-8 at our house – Kale goes to bed at 7 and so if we manage to get our collective poop together and eat with him before, then that’s great, and that’s what I am aiming for on a more constant basis. But Ross isn’t generally home until at least 5:30 and with Kale having some dinner, and a bath, and then some nakey baby time and then some boobie and then bed at 7 – well, dinner tends to get forgotten till he’s tucked into bed.
  • Usually I crave a sweet of some sort for dessert an hour or so after dinner. Sometimes its a handful of gummies, or other times it’s a small bowl of Moose Tracks (OMG I love Moose Tracks Ice Cream) and occasionally its more cookies.

I heart cookies. And the walking I do seems to be burning them off. I walk about 2 km most days now with Kale.

For Christmas, one of the things I asked for was a cookie jar. I was actually given TWO cookie jars, and ended up returning the one Ross’ folks gave me and exchanging it for some placemats and napkins. Ross bought me the one I kept because well, seriously, how could I not want a cookie jar shaped like a hen on a nest with two chicks?

Cookie Jar!

He found it on Craigslist, and in keeping with our recycled/handmade gift giving theme, I’d say he scored. Cookie shaped and cookie flavoured eggs, I’d say! Ross thought the cookie jar has a bit of a sweet meaning too – this was our first Christmas with Kale and so the mother hen and chick represents Kale and I. I’d like to think this cookie jar will be something Kale remembers as an adult about growing up – about how there was this chicken cookie jar on the counter his whole life filled with delicious homemade cookies.

So I’ve made a point of keeping the jar filled with cookies whenever I can. I have to admit that right now its empty, and that’s because I gobbled back the entire batch of Bird’s Nest cookies I made. These are my favourite cookies, I think. These are tiny little almond flavoured cookies with nests full of jam and sprinkled with almonds. Gillian shared a recipe today that sounds delicious so I am going to make them this afternoon because the jar is empty and I have all the ingredients the recipe calls for, but I thought I would share my Bird’s Nest recipe I use to make these awesome balls of jammy goodness.

Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Almond Thumbprint Cookies – Reduced Fat (from the Joy of Cooking)

  • 1 1/2 c all purpose flour
  • 1/3 c cornstarch
  • 1/4 t baking powder
  • 1/4 t baking soda
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 3 1/2 T unsalted softened butter
  • 3 T oil
  • 1 T light corn syrup (I used honey)
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 t grated lemon zest or 1/4 t orange extract
  • 2 1/2 t vanilla
  • 1/4 t almond extract
  • your favorite jam, about 2/3 c
  • 2-3 T chopped up sliced almonds, skin on or off, your choice

Whisk together: flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream: butter, oil, honey, sugar, and egg. Add lemon zest/orange extract, vanilla, and almond extract. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, a bit at a time and mix until combined and smooth. Grease your fingers, and pinch off small bits of dough and make 3/4″ balls. Don’t make them bigger- they do puff a bit when you bake them and they will spread. Place them at least 2″ apart on the cookie sheet. With your thumb, indent a well in each ball. Fill the well with your favorite jam – fill it full – as it will stay the same while the cookie puffs up around it. Make sure you use a thick jam or jelly as it needs to set. Sprinkle liberally with chopped up almond bits and bake for 6-9 minutes, until golden brown, at 375°F. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen or 4 dozen cookies. Cool well, and store and make sure you hide them from me because I will break down doors for these cookies.

5 Comments

    1. They were excellent! A bit too soft for my liking so next time 8-9 minutes. Perhaps my oven is a bit cooler than yours. Also, I think I will reduce the salt next time or use unsalted butter – I didn’t remember the butter in our fridge was salted so they were a bit saltier than intended! Oops! But delicious all the same and I’ve added the recipe, which was dead simple, to the box. 🙂

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