Butter Tart Thumbprint Cookies

There is never a bad time for cookies, am I right?

Winter, spring, summer, fall - there is different seasons for different types of cookies. I'm calling these cookies a winter cookie. Mainly because butter tarts seem to be a Christmas thing around our house so these make the perfect addition to the Christmas cookie list. 

(Click on these links for more butter tart recipes - Butter Tart Donuts HERE, Butter Tart Ice Cream HERE, Butter Tarts HERE, Maple Syrup Butter Tarts HERE) 

I believe I got 4 1/2ish dozen cookies (using my large cookie scoop), which is great if you need a bunch of cookies for a cookie exchange or gift giving. The recipe can easily be halved though! 

Butter Tart Thumbprint Cookies

(Slightly altered from Food Meanderings)

Ingredients

Butter Tart Filling

3 Tbsp butter

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vinegar

2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 cup currants

Cookies

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup butter, room temp

6 eggs

1 1/2 cup ground pecans

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

5 cups flour

Directions

 Prepare filling - In a medium pan over medium heat, stir together butter, vanilla, and cream. Stir until starting to steam. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar and eggs. 

Place pan back over medium-low heat. Whisk in the brown sugar and egg mixture. Then whisk in the vinegar and cornstarch. Keep whisking until thickened - about 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from heat once thickened and set aside to cool. (Can be placed in fridge to speed up cooling process)

While filling is cooling, prepare cookie dough.

Prepare cookie dough - In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add in eggs, beating after each addition. 

In a separate bowl, stir together ground pecans, baking powder, salt, and flour. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until stiff dough forms. (Start by using a wooden spoon and then switch to your hands to make sure dry ingredients are fully incorporated.) Cover and chill dough for about an hour. 

When dough and filling are chilled - Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside. Scoop dough using a cookie scoop. (I use a large one for bigger cookies)

Place about 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared cookie tray. Roll the scoops into a ball and then press your thumb into the center of each ball to make an indent. (I use the back of a teaspoon so they are all even.)

Bake the cookies for 10 - 12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from heat and gently repress the hole in the center of the cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

Fill the indent with some of the filling and let cool completely. 

If you run out of the butter tart filling you can use jam!

FYI - SORRY! I'm terrible for exact numbers of cookies because I tend to use my big scoop and then my little scoop so the numbers get skewed. I'm pretty sure I get 4 1/2 dozen big scoop cookies. 

A few notes - these stay sticky because of the filling so are not really stack-able. These do freeze very well though. We like currants in our butter tarts but you could use raisins or even chopped pecans instead - or leave them out totally.  If you can't find ground pecans then you can just grind pecan pieces in a blender or food processor until quite fine!