Oatmeal thumbprints

These cookies came with us to Jim’s birthday picnic last weekend where they were quickly consumed. The original recipe calls for raspberry jam, which I didn’t have, so I experimented with pear, (good) lemon curd (too runny) and a mysterious Iranian red fruit jam. My recipe is adapted from one in The Good Cookie by Trish Boyle.
Oatmeal Thumbprints
makes 36
1 cup walnuts
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup cake flour
1/4 tsp salt
7/8 cup butter (that’s 1/2 cup + 6 Tblsp)
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-fruit jam
Grind the walnuts into a medium fine powder. Set aside. Combine oatmeal, flour & salt. Set aside. Cream the butter until fluffy; add the sugar. Mix in the egg, then the vanilla. Add the oat mixture and stir until just blended.
Form 1″ balls (the dough is soft), and roll in the ground walnuts. Place on greased (or non-stick) cookie trays. Flatten each ball slightly with your palm, then make an indentation with your thumb. Fill the hollow with about a 1/2 tsp of jam.
Bake at 350 for about 11 minutes or until golden brown. Take care not to overbake.