#17. Sesame Jam Thumbprints

I have the soundtrack to Hamilton stuck in my head, and all those lyrics about the American Revolutionary War made me think about the Boston Tea Party, which made me think of tea, which made me think of...you guessed it: cookies. 

In pondering what type of cookies pair best with tea (and what type of tea), I have decided to eschew pontificating (hah!) on the minutiae of what might define a 'tea cookie' vs. a 'non-tea cookie' and assign only two requirements.

First, the cookie must look reasonably cute/pretty as it functions as much as adornment for a tea tablescape* as it does as a snack. Second, it must benefit (i.e., taste even better) via a dunk in your tea of choice.

Jam thumbprints in my mind satisfy both of these requirements, and making them afforded me a convenient way of using more of my father-in-law's delicious homemade jams. Yes, he makes jam from scratch in multiple flavors. Also, the cartoons for the labels for his jam. And chairs, for that matter. Show-off.

Sesame seeds may seem like an odd choice, but ironically, I like their crunchy "nutty" contrast to the fruity soft jam better than that actual nuts would provide. They also make these cookies smell wonderful in the oven.

*Sorry but if smize gets to be a word, so does tablescape.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of butter, room temperature

• 1/2 cup of sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

• 2 cups of flour

• 1/2 cup sesame seeds (more if needed)

• 3/4 cup of your father-in-law's homemade jam 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.. Using a hand-held mixer, beat butter and sugar until combined and creamy.

3. Add in eggs and vanilla extract.

4. In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt.

5. Gradually add in dry ingredient mixture to wet ingredient mixture, beating well.

6. Place dough in fridge for 30 minutes.

7. Roll dough into balls roughly 1 inch in diameter. Coat liberally in sesame seeds.

8. Press down with your thumb to make a small well in the center of the cookie. Fill with 1/2 teaspoon of jam.

9. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly firm. Or longer, if you want really toasty, roasty sesame seeds.

10. Enjoy with a mug of milky Earl Gray.