Jamming on Jamaretti Cookies
![A play on the classic thumbprint cookie.](https://www.foodgal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Jamaretti-cookies-FINALFINAL-708x1024.jpg)
As a kid, life sure seemed to move at a languid pace. Summer vacation seemed never-ending. Our favorite holidays seemed to take forever to come around.
Not so as an adult.
Life now seems to whoosh by at Millennium Falcon hyper speed, making us ever grateful for all the shortcuts and time-saving tips we can get.
Enter “Jamaretti” cookies from Martha Stewart.
You know those classic jam-filled thumbprint cookies you made as a kid, rolling balls of dough one by one, then pressing your thumb into each one before spooning jam into every single crevice? Yeah, those ones.
Well, this recipe streamlines that process by making these cookies more like biscotti.
The dough is formed into long, slightly flattened logs that get a first bake. Then, the handle of a wooden spoon is pressed into the center of each log, creating one long trench that the jam gets spooned into, before getting a final bake.
The finishing touch is a fanciful drizzle of glaze before the logs are sliced on the diagonal into individual pieces.
![The handle of a wooden spoon is pressed into each partially baked cookie log to create a trench for the jam filling.](https://www.foodgal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/baked-logs.jpg)
Faster? Easier? Yes, and yes. Especially because the dough comes together in a food processor in a blink.
As delicious? You bet. Maybe even more so because this particular dough also includes almond paste, which adds a festive sweet nuttiness.
Although the recipe recommends apricot, blackberry or raspberry jam, you could use whatever you like, as long as it’s not too runny. I actually used pluot jam.
![The last step before enjoying is just slicing into individual cookies.](https://www.foodgal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/cutting-cookies.jpg)
These cookies are crisp and sweet, the perfect companion to a cup of tea or coffee.
And just think: Because you saved so much time making them using this method, you can pour yourself a second cup to unwind that much longer.
![I used pluot jam in these. But you can use whatever you like, as long as the jam isn't too runny.](https://www.foodgal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/jamaretti-cookies-plates-FINAL.jpg)
“Jamaretti” Cookies
(Makes about 36 to 40 cookies)
2 1/4 cups flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for work surface
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup almond paste
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 cup jam (apricot, blackberry, or raspberry)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
4 teaspoons whole milk
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a food processor; pulse almond paste and sugar until smooth. Add butter and eggs and blend until smooth. Add flour mixture and pulse until dough forms. Divide into 4 equal pieces, wrap in plastic, and chill 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 10-inch log. Transfer logs to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets and flatten to about 2 inches across. Bake until just dry, 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove from oven; with the handle of a wooden spoon, make a trench down each log. Spread 2 tablespoons jam into each trench. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over logs. Let glaze harden, 20 minutes. With a serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into 1-inch slices. (Store in airtight containers, up to 1 week.)
Note: This dough can be prepped and frozen up to a week in advance. Just thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
From Martha Stewart’s “Everyday Food” (December 2013)
![](https://www.foodgal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Jam-on-Toast-thumbprints-close-NEWSLETTER-150x150.jpg)
For A More Classic Thumbprint Cookie — But With A Fun Twist: Jam-on-Toast Thumbprints