These jam thumbprint cookies are not only buttery delicious but they're beautiful, too! Perfect to enjoy during the holidays, these festive looking morsels are so melt-in-your-mouth good that you would never guess that they're gluten free!
Combine room temperature butter and sugar and cream together using either a mixer or whisk. Add vanilla and mix.
Whisk together brown rice flour, tapioca starch, almond flour in a separate bowl. Add to the creamed butter.
Beat mixture together until dough comes together and there is no more loose flour at the bottom of the bowl.
With hands lightly dusted with brown rice flour or tapioca starch, press and shape dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes.
Preheat oven 350 deg F (180C).
Beat together 1 egg and 1 tbs water for egg wash. Set aside.
Remove dough from fridge and portion out into 1 ¼" balls (about 30 grams or 1 oz. each).
Roll each dough ball in egg wash, being sure to let any excess egg drip away before rolling it in shredded coconut. Place on parchment lined baking sheet.
Press an indentation into each dough ball with the back of a ⅛ teaspoon measuring spoon, your finger, or the tip of a mixing spoon handle.
Fill indentation with about ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon jam. Do not overfill.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.
Let cookies cool 10 minutes on the pan before using a spatula to transfer them to a sheet of foil on the counter to cool completely.
Store cookies in a container at room temperature or in the fridge.
Notes
Volume Measurements:
225 grams butter = 1 cup
50 grams sugar = ¼ cup
Gluten-free flours are best measured by weight for the best results.
Make sure the butter is room temperature so it is easier to blend with the sugar.
Refrigerating the dough for 30-40 minutes before shaping into balls allows the butter to firm up and makes the dough easier to handle.
Be sure to use jam or preserves, not jelly.
Make the dough ahead and keep it in the fridge. On the day of baking, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes so the dough is soft enough to handle and roll into balls.
Sweetened coconut flakes can be substituted for unsweetened. They may need to be pressed more into the cookies to stick and they will make your cookies slightly sweeter.
Skip the coconut completely, if desired.
Be sure not to overfill the indents with jam. I use about ¼. Any more and the jam may bubble over.
These cookies will hold together better when eaten a day after making them, or if they are kept chilled. They are delicious on the same day of baking, but will be more crumbly.