An extremely versatile cookie – substitute your favorite nut for the hazelnuts. You can also substitute the jam, but people challenge yourselves - step out of your comfort zone and try this jam! I didn't make the jam today, but I used the leftover pulp from my Tomato Shrub recipe in a previous post.
Makes 24– 1 inch cookies
Tomato Jam:
Makes 1 ¼ cups
1 ½ pounds of your favorite tomato, cored and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon orange zest, optional but makes it taste SO good
Cookies:
4 ounces room temperature unsalted butter
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
large pinch kosher salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup finely ground hazelnuts
¾ cup tomato jam
For the tomato jam:
In a medium saucepan, combine tomatoes, sugar, cider vinegar, and orange zest. Cook uncovered, over medium heat, occasionally stirring, until the mixture becomes thick, about 45 minutes. If you pull a spoon through the jam, the jam will stay apart and not close together. Remove from heat. Allow to cool completely before using.
For the cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350F
In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, combine butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy; about 5 minutes. Remove from the mixer and using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour and ground hazelnuts until completely combined. The dough will look slightly stiff. Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and make a small round. Place on two parchment-lined sheet trays and press down in the center of the dough using your thumb or index finger to make a large circle. Place about 1 ½ teaspoons of tomato jam in the circle. You want the circle to be filled without overflowing. Place the sheet trays in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the cookies are lightly golden and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
