September 26, 2014

Hazelnut Orange Thumbprint Cookies

State Fair of Texas Winner

Hazelnut Orange Thumbprint Cookies

1 cup Gold Medal All-Purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained

1/2 cup apricot jam

1 cup chocolate chips, melted

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour and salt and set aside. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and blend again until fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla, blending well to incorporate. Add flour mixture and beat until blended. Mix in nuts and mini chocolate chips to form a ball of dough. Pat dry the mandarin oranges, cut into pieces, mix them with the apricot jam, and set aside.

Take teaspoon size portions of the dough and roll in balls. Place on parchment lined baking sheets. Space them out as they grow when baking. Indent the top of each cookie with the back of a small round measuring spoon. Bake for about 10 minutes. Repeat the indentations in cookie tops while still hot. Spoon a mandarin orange segment with some jam into indentations. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown on rims of cookies. Cool on wire racks. Dip cookie bottoms in melted chocolate, then into hazelnuts. Place on wax paper lined baking sheets and allow chocolate to harden before eating.

-Recipe from Mary, 2013 State Fair of Texas, Gold Medal Flour Scratch Bakers Cookie Challenge