Helen Goh's peanut and blackcurrant thumbprint cookies offer a sophisticated take on traditional biscuits, combining rich, salty peanuts with the sharp complexity of blackcurrant jam. This recipe yields tender, crumbly shortbread encrusted with nuts and topped with a glossy, chewy jewel of jam, creating a perfect contrast in textures and flavours.
Flavour Inspiration and Recipe Details
In The Flavour Thesaurus, Niki Segnit suggests that blackcurrant, with its sharper and more intricate character, pairs better with fatty and salty peanuts than the classic grape jelly. Helen Goh embraces this idea, crafting cookies that highlight this superior match. The blackcurrant jam, spooned into the centre of each cookie, bakes into a slightly chewy, glossy filling that complements the buttery, nutty base.
Ingredients and Preparation
To make these cookies, you will need 110g of unsalted butter at room temperature, 50g of caster sugar, a quarter teaspoon of salt, 100g of sifted plain flour, 60g of ground almonds, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, 60g of salted roasted peanuts, and 60g of blackcurrant jam. The preparation time is 15 minutes, plus chilling and cooling, with a cook time of 35 minutes, making 13 cookies in total.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Beat the butter, sugar, and salt in an electric mixer with a paddle attachment for two minutes on medium-high speed until pale and creamy.
- Scrape down the bowl, then add the flour, ground almonds, and vanilla, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms.
- Knead the dough gently on a work surface into a smooth ball, flatten slightly, wrap or cover, and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Line baking trays with baking paper and crush the peanuts in a zip-lock bag with a rolling pin until lightly crushed, then place in a bowl.
- Heat the oven to 170C (150C fan)/340F/gas 3½. Pinch off 13 pieces of dough, each roughly 25g, roll into balls, and coat in crushed peanuts, pressing lightly to adhere.
- Arrange on trays spaced 5cm apart, press a thumb indentation into each, and spoon half a teaspoon of blackcurrant jam into each centre, avoiding overfilling.
- Bake for about 35 minutes until the jam bubbles and cookies begin to colour on edges and bases. Cool on trays briefly, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
These cookies provide a small, repeated pleasure, ideal for baking enthusiasts seeking a unique and flavourful treat.
