12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Day 4
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Welcome back to 12 Days of Christmas Cookies! Today we’re embracing a touch of magic with Sugar Plum Fairy Thumbprint Cookies. Inspired by the whimsy of the Nutcracker ballet and the enchanting holiday season, these delicate treats are as delightful to eat as they are to behold.
But what is a sugar plum, you ask? While the term might conjure images of tiny sugar-dusted fruits, traditional sugar plums are a mix of dried fruits, spices, and nuts—perfect for this festive season. This twist takes the essence of sugar plums and pairs it with buttery thumbprint cookies, filled with a jewel-toned plum preserve and covered with berry dust. They’re sweet, elegant, and brimming with holiday cheer.
So, whether you’re a fan of ballet, cookies, or both, these treats are guaranteed to dance their way onto your holiday table. Let’s get baking!
Sugar Plum Fairy Thumbprint Cookies
25-30
Cookies45
minutes8-10
minutes
Spiced plum jam atop berry-dusted thumbprint cookies evoke memories of sugarplum fairies and dance their way onto your holiday table
Ingredients
- Spiced Plum Jam
3 plums (about 300 grams)
1/2 cup sugar (100 grams)
3 star anise
1 lemon
*Note: If you are not able to find plums, you can substitute this sugar plum jam or any other jam of your choice
- Thumbprint Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (226 grams)
1 cup sugar (200 grams)
2 egg yolks (about 30 grams)
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (300 grams)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon clove
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Berry Dust
1.2 ounce package freeze-dried cherries (34 grams)
1.2 ounce package freeze-dried blueberries (34 grams)
1 cup sugar, divided (200 grams)
Turbinado sugar for decorating (optional)
*Note: you can use any freeze-dried berry or fruit for this. I find that cherry and blueberry pair best with the plum jam, however.
Directions
- Spiced Plum Jam
- Pit and chop the plums.
- Mix the plums with the sugar, star anise, and juice of one lemon. Add the rind of the whole lemon to the mix.
- Let this sit overnight.
- Cook the jam over medium-low heat until it begins to thicken. (this will take about 15-20 minutes)
- Remove the lemon rind and 3 star anise.
- Blend the jam in a blender or food processor until smooth and let cool completely.
- Berry Dust
- Blend each package of freeze-dried berries individually with 1/2 cup of sugar until a powder forms. Be sure that your blender is completely dry (There’s no need to clean the blender in between the two different berry powders).
- Cover and set aside.
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This will take 1-2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla.
- Slowly fold in the remaining ingredients.
*If you live in a less humid climate than I do, your dough may be more dry. If your dough is too crumbly, simply at 1-2 Tablespoons of water or milk until it is soft and pliable. - Chill the dough over night.
- Preheat an oven to 350°F.
- Scoop the dough into 1 oz balls (I use a #30 scoop for this).
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately indent them with your thumb (I used the handle of a rolling pin to do this) and ring them with a circle cookie cutter to form perfect circles.
- Return the cookies to the oven for 1 minute.
- Let the cookies cool until the are stiff but still warm (about 5 minutes).
- While the cookies are still slightly warm, roll them in the berry dust. The dust will melt a little bit into the cookies, deepening the color. Alternatively, you can wait until the cookies are entirely cool to roll the cookies in the berry dust. This will result in a lighter color.
- Fill the divots in each cookie with the spiced plum jam and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Enjoy!
Notes
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