To feed our fika frenzy, our friend Margaret Hanson provided this simple-and-sweet recipe for classic Swedish-style butter cookies. "I like to make these into thumbprint cookies," Margaret adds, "because the dough can be made without using a mixer and does not need to chill before shaping, making it a PERFECT recipe to share with children."
Ingredients:
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1 cup Unsalted Butter (room temperature)
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½ cup Sugar (plus 3-4 tbsp for rolling)
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2 Large Egg Yolks
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1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
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2 cups All Purpose Flour
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¼ teaspoon Salt
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½ cup Jam (any flavor)
Directions:
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Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
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Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it’s ready.
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Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix until well combined after each.
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Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
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Add the flour and salt and mix until the dough is just well combined. Do not over mix.
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Create 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Gently roll into a ball, then roll in additional sugar (if using), then set the balls on the baking sheet.
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Use the end of a spatula, your thumb or the bottom of a measuring spoon to press the centers of the cookies down. Do this immediately after rolling them to help prevent the cookies from cracking.
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Fill the centers with jam. I used roughly 1/2 teaspoon per cookie.
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Bake cookies for 10-13 minutes or until the edges JUST begin to brown. You don’t want to overbake them and have dry cookies.
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Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to finishing cooling.