Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Ina Garten is my FAVORITE person to watch on the food network.  Every recipe that I have tried of hers had been "fabulous."  The barefoot contessa has an amazing collection of cookbooks.  I have all of them and actually USE all of them.  She is an amazing self taught cook.  She is a lover of butter and cream, which those who know me know I try to eat healthy.  It isn't difficult to take the recipes and change them to be a little lighter or substitute ingredients to fit your own style of cooking.  That said, I do NOT change a thing when it comes to her baked goods.  They are worth the indulgence and if you are eating healthy foods most of the time, a cookie here in there isn't gonna kill you!  :) 

I made these for a gathering I had at my house.  Deciding what kind of jam to put in them was my biggest hurdle.  I tried strawberry, cherry and apricot.  I think the strawberry is so commonly used in our home that it wasn't working for me.  The cherry and apricot jams added...DELICIOUS!  I hadn't made these cookies before now because I don't care for coconut, and the recipe has flaked coconut in it.  You really don't get a big coconut flavor, but it adds such sweetness and crunch to the outside of the cookie, that it is definitely a neccessary ingredient. 

The recipe can be found in Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookboook, which is my favorite of all of her cookbooks!  It is also on the food network website:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/jam-thumbprint-cookies-recipe/index.html.  Try these!  You will not be disappointed!!!!

One note of caution, if you are like me and love a warm cookie out of the oven BE CAREFUL.  If you do not let the jam set you will burn the roof of your mouth.  I know this because I did this.  Yikes!  Let them cool a bit and then enjoy!!!