Today, I am sharing an old family favourite – Brown Sugar Jam-Filled Cookies.
These cookies are not too sweet but are very tasty….bite into one of these cookies and you’ll find that one will not be enough! Lovely soft, tender crumb in these cookies.
You can vary the flavour by using different jams and jellies in the center, although red jam is always the most showy.
The addition of cherries and nuts make the cookies a bit more special, particularly around Christmas time.
I do a lot of special baking around the holidays but have discovered that not everyone wants gooey squares and rich decadent cookies, balls, and candy that always seem to appear on sweet trays during the holiday season. For some, they are just too rich and sweet. These cookies are the perfect alternative. They are what I would class as a ‘substantial’ cookie yet the nuts and cherries still keep them within the Christmas ‘zone’.
But don’t reserve them just for the holidays! They are good any time of the year and are especially good picnic fare and lunch box treats. They also make a great tea-time snack.
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Brown Sugar Jam-Filled Cookies
Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tbsp milk, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
½ tsp vanilla
1¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cardamom
½ cup chopped macadamia nuts
¼ cup chopped maraschino cherries, well drained and blotted with paper towel
Favorite jam or jelly
Method:
Preheat oven to 350F and assemble ingredients. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
In medium-sized bowl, sift or sieve together the flour, soda, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.
Chop the cherries and nuts. Blot cherries in paper towel to remove excess moisture. Set aside.
In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar at medium speed. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla just until blended.
With mixer on slow “stir” speed, stir in dry ingredients just until combined. Do not overmix.
Remove bowl from mixer stand and stir in cherries and nuts.
Drop dough by teaspoonsfuls onto prepared baking sheet. With thumb, press indent into center of each cookie. Fill with ¼ – ½ tsp of favorite jam or jelly.
Bake for 12-14 minutes. Do not overbake. Let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.
Yield: Apx. 30 cookies (depending on the size you choose to make)
Brown Sugar Jam-Filled Cookies
The combination of bright red jam or jelly and a tender, soft, and buttery crumb make these Brown Sugar Jam-filled Cookies a real treat!
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp cardamom
- ½ cup chopped macadamia nuts
- ¼ cup chopped maraschino cherries, well drained and blotted in paper towel
- ½ cup butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tbsp milk, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ tsp vanilla
- Favorite jam or jelly
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F and assemble ingredients. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.
In medium-sized bowl, sift or sieve together the flour, soda, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.
Chop the cherries and nuts. Blot cherries in paper towel to remove excess moisture. Set aside.
In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar at medium speed. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla just until blended.
With mixer on slow "stir" speed, stir in dry ingredients just until combined. Do not overmix.
Remove bowl from mixer stand and stir in the cherries and nuts.
- Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. With thumb, press indent into center of each cookie. Fill with ¼ - ½ tsp of favorite jam or jelly.
Bake for 12-14 minutes. Do not overbake. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.
Recipe Notes
Yield: Apx. 30 cookies (depending on the size you choose to make)
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This post and recipe were last updated November 25, 2023.
Oh these do look divine and could you just pass the plate? A great recipe to save here!
Hello Barbara,
Oh my, do these ever look good! I have made thumbprint cookies many times but not these. I love macadamias and cherries. A wonderful recipe for Christmas or any time as you say. I will definitely give these a try. Thanks so much fro joining me for Christmas in July.
Blessings,
Sandi