Speak of the Splendor

Oh, how I love Easter.

The jubliation after forty days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. What a glorious day.

What a glorious day to EAT. Amazing, non-lent food.

For me, Easter would not be Easter without a lemon-y desert. In the past I have made various lemon things (including a lemon truffle pie, but excluding a lemon merangue pie) but since last Easter I made lemon curd. Oh, I have been craving that curd since we finished the batch I made in October.

So, after much discussion and research (I kid you not)…here is the recipe that I am most likely going to use as the lemon delivery system on Easter:

Thumbprint Cookies

Makes 25 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1/2 cup ground hazelnuts (1 cup as whole)
4 oz butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup raspberry jam
1/3 cup apricot jam
Method

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy (5 minutes).
3. Whisk together flour and ground hazelnuts and add to the creamed butter. Mix until well combined.
4. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes (it will be easier to shape).
5. Take a teaspoonful of dough in your hand, form a small ball, press in the center with your finger to make a hole (not all the way) and arrange on baking trays 2 inches apart. (Don’t be tempted to make them bigger than a teaspoonful).
6. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are slightly colored.
7. Let the cookies cool and fill the holes with your favorite jams.

There are two main reasons I like this recipe, 1) The curd will not be cooked in the cookies, 2) Hazelnuts are in the batter.

(link:  http://cafefernando.com/thumbprint-cookies )