Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies

What says, “Holidays!” more than Gingerbread? Cranberries. Well, maybe not, but cranberries are pretty ubiquitous this time of year, no matter the feast. As you know, cranberries are naturally tart and are often simmered into a relish with a good amount of sugar and served as a side dish to accompany turkey or goose. But what about the cranberries who are not satisfied to merely play a supporting role?

What about the cranberries who were destined for stardom? Destined to play the ingénue. Destined to be the center of attention. Big dreams for a cranberry, I know. After speaking with their agent, these attention seeking, career driven cranberries have settled for the starring role in a gingerbread cookie. Hey, times are tough. It was either this or play a mall Santa.

All personification aside, cranberries and gingerbread make a great pair. Simmered into a jam, the cranberries create a perfectly light and fruity foil for the gingerbread’s hearty spice.

Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies – makes 4 dozen

3/4 C butter, room temperature
1/3 C sugar
1/3 c molasses
2 C flour
1 t baking powder
1 t ginger
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
14 cloves, ground
1 C cranberries
1/2 C water
1/2 C sugar

Start off by making the cranberry sauce. Combine the cranberries, water and sugar in a small saucepan. Gently stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 5 minutes until the cranberries burst. Remove from heat. Crush the berries using the back of a spoon and stir to form a relatively even consistency. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl or stand mixer cream the butter, sugar and molasses. Stir in spices until well combined.

In another bowl, combine flour and baking powder.

Gradually combine the flour with the butter mixture.

Using a teaspoon, scoop the dough into a ball and arrange on a cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Using the back of a 1/4 teaspoon press an indentation into each mound of dough. Sure, they call them thumbprint cookies, but let’s be civilized here and not get our skin cells all over the cookies please, shall we?

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven. Fill each indentation with cranberry jam. Return to oven and bake 5 more minutes.

Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely (at least 15 minutes) on a cooling rack.

Serve to impressed party guests, loved ones, fortunate co-workers or men who fall through your chimney.