Equipment Needed
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Two baking sheets
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
- Mixing bowls
- A small spoon or a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon for filling
- A small dish of water (for your thumb!)
Step-by-Step Instructions
We start by creaming the butter and sugar, and this is where the cookie’s texture is born. In your mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together on medium-high speed for a full 3-4 minutes. I know it seems like a long time, but you’re not just mixing; you’re incorporating air to make the cookies light and tender. The mixture should become pale, fluffy, and almost whipped. Then, beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is homogenous. The smell at this stage is already sweet and promising.
Now, we add the flour. I add it all at once, then mix on low speed just until the flour disappears and a soft dough forms. The key word is just. The moment you no longer see dry flour, stop the mixer. Overmixing at this stage will develop the gluten in the flour and make your cookies tough instead of tender and crumbly. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky. I then gather it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and press it into a disc. Here’s my secret: I chill the dough for 30 minutes. This firms up the butter, making the dough much easier to handle and roll, and prevents the cookies from spreading too much.
After chilling, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Take portions of dough and roll them into 1-inch balls. If you want that classic sparkly edge, roll each ball in a small dish of coarse sugar. Now for the signature move: place the balls on the sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. Take your thumb (I keep a small bowl of water nearby to dip it in to prevent sticking) and press a firm, deep indentation into the center of each ball. Don’t be shy—you want a well that will hold a good amount of jam without overflowing.(See the next page below to continue…)