Blackberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies (AIP, Coconut-Free Option)

It is currently the holiday time, or as I saw on Instagram the other day "Christmas 1st." This means all things Christmas to me including: lights, Christmas Tree, stockings, Christmas Music, holiday treats, and the Hallmark Channel on 24/7. A few days ago I was enjoying one of the many fabulous movies about ice sculpting or something, and the girl in the movie was teaching her current love interest how to make thumbprint cookies. Being a crazy pregnant lady, I immediately needed the cookies.

I have never actually made them before, so I immediately took to Google. I researched to see what the other amazing bloggers out there have already made, and while there were some great recipes already out there, they all used coconut flour. Personally, coconut flour doesn't bother me, but the hubby does not do very well with it and so for most baking dishes I try not to use it. This recipe just some how magically came together and was just perfect on the very first try. YAY! I used some homemade blackberry jam I had previously made using this awesome recipe by A Girl Worth Saving, but you can use any jam you would like.

Blackberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

• ¾ cup organic palm shortening
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of crystallized sugar such as, maple sugar, sucanat sugar, muscovado sugar, or coconut sugar 
• 1 cup of cassava flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• ½ cup cold water
• ¼ cup blackberry jam

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
2. Add palm shortening and sugar to a large mixing bowl, and use a hand mixer to whip them together.
3. Add flour, baking soda and mix with shortening and sugar
4. Then add vanilla, and water to mixing bowl and stir until fully combined into a sticky dough.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Using a tablespoon, scoop out dough and rolling into a small ball. Place on baking sheet, and press down with palm to slightly flatten. You want it to be about half the size of the ball. Using your thumb, make a big thumbprint in the middle of the cookie.
7. Fill the thumbprint with about a ½ teaspoon of blackberry jam,
8. Repeat until dough is gone. This recipe makes about 18 cookies.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 13 minutes.
10. When done remove from oven and take parchment paper of pan and place on cooling rack.
11. Now, you must let them cool for at least 10 minutes, yes I know that is the hardest part. However, these must cool for them to set, otherwise they will fall apart if you eat them right of the pan.
12. Enjoy! They should last up to 5 days on the counter in a airtight container, if they make it that long.