Cookies - Thumbprint 

Basic shortbread dough with a beautiful splash of color and burst of fruit jam!

*wrap in parchment instead of plastic wrap because the wrap can stick to the dough and be next to impossible to remove - and it is hard to see.

**I whittled a heart from a carrot to use to make a heart indent! Then I filled the heart carefully using a plastic baggie with a hole cut in the corner. This made hearts in the middle of the cookie. So cute.

***I think homemade lemon curd would be so good in these cookies.

****They don't spread much so you can put them quite close together. This is good since they bake for so long.
In mixer with cookie whips beat:
2 lb soft unsalted butter+++
16 oz (2 c) sugar
until light and fluffy.

Beat in:
3 T vanilla

Mix together then mix in:
40 oz (8 c) flour
2 t salt
until it forms a soft dough.

Cover and refrigerate an hour or so just to hydrate the flour. Scoop the dough and bake immediately.
OR
If you prefer a sliced refrigerator dough style, roll cookie dough into a long roll, wrap in parchment* and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Slice thick.
OR
Scoop immediately into tupperware or onto parchment lined baking sheets (just so your dough isn't in contact with the aluminum). Refrigerate up to 4 days. Bake some or freeze the balls to bake on demand.

Bake at convection 325* for 7 minutes. Or so depending on your scoop size.

2 c  raspberry or other tart jam

Take out and make deep indentation in center of each cookie.  Fill with 1/2 tsp of jam. (Use pastry bag or baggie with a small hole cut, to quickly fill with jam so cookies don't get too cool.)  Return cookies to oven and bake for 12 minutes longer or until light golden brown.  Cool on wire racks.

The low temp baking allows a lot of flexibility in the timing as they don't get done too quickly. I put the first baking ones on the bottom rack while the top rack was finishing.

+++Tallow was good in these, but not a half-half ratio. Try 1/4-3/4 ratio. Also scoop the cookies but then roll them so they don't have so many crumbs on the edges.

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