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There are so many things to love about the holiday season, but we’d be lying if we said cookies weren’t a big part of why we love this time of year so much. Sure, we might have a cookie here and there in the summer, but in the fall and winter, they start coming fast and furious. Chocolate chip cookies and pumpkin cookies for fall make way for peppermint chocolate cookies and gingerbread cookies, and with cookie swaps and family visits coming up, we’re always looking for new recipes to add to our arsenal. So when we saw that Martha Stewart, author of Martha Stewart’s Cookies, had shared an Instagram post about her ‘soft, chewy’ jam thumbprint cookies, we knew we’d have to try them. The recipe is a spin on Lamingtons, an an Australian favorite, and they’ll definitely liven up the offerings at your cookie swap this year. Even better? You can totally customize these cookies by using your own favorite flavors of jam — or you could even skip the jam in favor of dulce de leche or Nutella.
Traditional Lamingtons aren’t cookies at all, but little cakes that are layered with jam, then get coated in chocolate and sprinkled with shredded coconut. The cookie version captures the same flavors, but they’re a lot easier to make. The dough for these soft, chewy cookies doesn’t require a stand mixer or minutes of creaming butter and sugar together. It’s made simply with softened butter, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and the usual dry ingredients.
The dough is refrigerated, rolled into balls, then tossed in coconut before getting their signature thumprint depression in the middle and being baked. Once the cookies are cooled, they get coated in chocolate just on the bottoms, then are left to cool on a piece of parchment paper, where the chocolate can solidify.
Finally, you’ll add the fillings. Whether you’re using jam, dulce de leche, Nutella, or another filling, you’ll want to warm them up in a saucepan. Then, add a 3/4 teaspoon of filling to each cookie. They get refrigerated until both the chocolate bottoms and jammy tops are set, and there you have it: chewy, chocolatey, coconutty cookies filled with delicious jam and spreads, perfect for snacking on with a cup of tea or cocoa. Your next cookie platter is definitely going to wow your friends and loved ones with these colorful, festive cookies on display.
Before you go, check out these Ina Garten-Approved holiday gift ideas:
Watch: Giada De Laurentiis Just Shared a Bunch of Holiday Cooking & Hostess Tips With Us & They Are Brilliant
