Pepper Jelly Cornmeal Thumbprint Cookies
These flavorful Pepper Jelly Cornmeal Thumbprint Cookies will surprise you with their soft cornmeal crumb and spicy, sweet filling. Spice things up this holiday season!
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Do you have a cookie that you just look forward to every year? You know that one I’m talking about. You can justify having a second one but as the need for a third helping strikes you start to be stealthy about grabbing one off the tray as you walk by. Then you keep a hawk-eye lookout on the stash so that as the evening wears on you don’t miss out on the very last one. Some party-goer starts looking at YOUR cookie and you nonchalantly engage them in conversation about something that they really care about while you reach in and take that lone cookie while they drone on about reducing our carbon footprint or world peace or other things.
I have a friend who makes these Pepper Jelly Thumbprint Cookies and I look forward to them every year. This cookie is so difficult to explain but I think you will love it as much as I do. The cornmeal bakes up and gives the cookie a perfect crumb texture so it kind of melts in your mouth and the pepper jelly surprises you with a sweet and spicy kick. These Pepper Jelly Thumbprint Cookies truly stand out from all the rest on the dessert table. (You can find pepper jelly at most grocery stores near the peanut butter and jelly).
This post is the first in our Third Annual I’ll Bring the COOKIES Virtual Blogger Cookie Swap. Be sure to check back here every day in December leading up to Christmas where some of the best bloggers will be sharing their favorite cookie recipe! You can also follow along Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google+ with the hashtag #BringtheCOOKIES.
Pepper Jelly Cornmeal Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup red and/or green pepper jelly
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and baking powder and beat until combined.
- Add egg yolk and vanilla until combined, then add cornmeal.
- Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.
- Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls and place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Lightly press the tip of your thumb into the center of each ball of dough and fill each center with about 1/8 teaspoon of pepper jelly.
- Bake for about 10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool completely.
14 Comments on “Pepper Jelly Cornmeal Thumbprint Cookies”
Made these today. They are delicious. I used black jalapeño jam because that’s what I had on hand. I weighed each dough ball at 18 grams and it made 22 cookies, not 48 as the recipe states.
That sounds delicious!
I made these with pineapple pepper jelly and brought them to the office. They disappeared! We all decided that putting a little whipped cream cheese on top just brought them up a notch.
I first made these as a little bit of an unconventional addition to the high tea spread I served to my friends. They were an instant hit!! Now, these are one of my absolute favorites and they are requested at every get-together.
I made these with blueberry jalapeno jam to bring to an Independence Day shindig. The amount of butter in the recipe really mellowed out the jalapeno to a barely perceptible warmth. I used my smaller cookie scoop and wound up with only 28 cookies from this recipe. I used 1/4 teaspoon of jam per cookie. I had to bake 12 minutes to get the barest touch of browning.
I love thumbprint cookies 🙂 these look delightful!
I second the genius vote!! These sound amazing! Very much looking forward to your series!
I’m so glad I’m not the only one who loves this combo! Thanks for following along the #BringtheCOOKIES party!
I bet that the pepper jelly adds a great flavor. Something that is a little spicy rather than sweet. Looking forward to the 25 days of cookies 🙂
It is a surprising cookie but it is so so good. Thanks for joining our #BringtheCOOKIES cookie party!
Great way to kick off the series, Katrina! I don’t need further explanation…I just need 10 of these, thankyouverymuch.
Thank you Amy! They really are addicting.
You are a freaking genius! We only ever put pepper jelly on cheese! But cookies?! Such a fabulous idea!!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who digs this flavor combination 🙂