I've really gotten into baking.
I used to bake a lot, but when I was losing weight, I rarely baked, since cookies and cakes and other delicious pastries really didn't fit well into my diet. However, now that I'm working out like crazy and maintaining pretty well, I've rediscovered a passion for pastries.
A few weeks ago, on one of my many trips to the Pittsburgh Public Market, I tried The Berry Patch's Blackberry Merlot Jelly and was so impressed with it that I bought a jar.
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| Blackberry Merlot Wine Jelly from The Berry Patch |
Now the question was - what do I do with it?
I thought about it for awhile, and came to the conclusion that whatever I did with it had to include chocolate. After all, wine and chocolate go together, right? The jelly was sweet, so a sweet pairing would complement the wine-flavored jelly well.
I took to Google and searched for a solution to this dilemma - what kind of cookie to make?
I found my answer on The Curvy Carrot blog, which came up in my search - a recipe for Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies that uses Hershey's Kisses (like Peanut Butter Blossoms). I thought that instead of the kisses, I would use the jelly.
Sometimes I amaze myself. In good ways, too.
Remember - The Berry Patch is at The Pittsburgh Public Market every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for your jelly (and pie, and empanada, and blueberry lemonade...) needs!
Now if I can just come up with a cookie recipe that uses one of the East End Brewing-inspired jellies...
For the original recipe (with Hershey's Kisses), click here.
Blackberry Merlot Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
Servings: about 20 cookies
Ingredients
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 jar, The Berry Patch Blackberry Merlot Wine Jelly (or any other of their wonderful flavors!)
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (I use a Pampered Chef large bar pan - no need for parchment paper).
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium-high speed for 30 seconds.
3. Add sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
4. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
5. Beat in the flour.
6. Your dough should be at ball-rolling consistency at this point. If it’s not, let it chill in the refrigerator for a while to firm up a little.
7. Once easily handled, roll dough into 1-inch balls.
8. Place balls 2 inches apart on your lined cookie sheets (or unlined stoneware), and, using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each cookie (hence, thumbprint cookies!)
9. Bake for 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven, then add a dollop of jelly to each cookie (just enough to fill the indentation - about 1 tsp.).
10. Return cookies to oven and bake for another 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
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| Finished product |
The Berry Patch
161 Blueberry Lane
New Florence, PA 15944
Pittsburgh Public Market
Produce Terminal Building
Smallman Street (near 17th Street)
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
That's one of my favorite jams by The Berry Patch. Super nice people.
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