A Southern Grace: what a gem!

December 20, 2011

what a gem!

Yum

I often take issue with the names of the baked goods I make, but in this instance, the creators were spot-on.


Do you not think of a giant red ruby when you look at these beauties? On top of its lovely appearance, these cookies are a knock-out in the taste department too. Crunchy, tangy, sweet, and melt-in-your-mouth buttery, they make the slightly elaborate preparation completely worth the effort.


Morsels like these stand out on any holiday cookie tray, and they're amazing enough to make to serve totally on their own as well. Make them! Eat them! Don't you dare save them for Santa! Most importantly, have a delightful holiday season!

Gems of Unparalleled Taste (or GOUT)(ho ho ho)
from Cookies: Food Writers' Favorites
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 egg, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
strawberry jam

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, cream cheese, egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon zest until well blended. Mix in powdered sugar, then flour to make a stiff dough. Refrigerate dough. Shape chilled dough into 30 small balls. Beat egg white until foamy. Dip balls in egg white, then roll in nuts. Place balls on lightly greased baking sheets. Press an indentation into the center of each ball; fill with a little strawberry jam. Bake 350 for 10-15 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown on the bottom. Let cool.


43 comments:

cocoa and coconut said...

GLad you like these..they look delicious and I'm always a fan of this sort of biscuit. But we call it different here, it's called a jam drop.

Either way, it's delicious!

Becki's Whole Life said...

I like that these have cream cheese in the dough. Gives cookies such great consistency and flavor. Your pictures look scrumptious....and they do look like Gems!

Joanne said...

Gems of Unparalleled Taste...sounds like the cookie is being knighted or something. Which, given how delicious it looks, would be totally warranted.

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

They look so irresistible! Can I have one with my tea? ;-P

Happy Holidays!

Cheers,

Rosa

A Plum By Any Other Name said...

Those little beauties are one of my favorites to see sparkling on dessert trays. ;)

Von said...

Not even for Santa? haha.... love the name too! :) And they do look amazingly delicious!

Sue/the view from great island said...

Jam filled cookies are a great example of things I love to eat during the holidays, but never touch the rest of the year. These do look like little gems.

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

"gout" - hahahaha!

They sure sound good though :).

Lyndas recipe box said...

As soon as I saw them I wanted one, no several of these buttery cookies. When I saw that the recipe includes cream cheese, I bookmarked it. Thanks for posting Grace and have a very Merry Christmas!

Tracy Lawson said...

Oh, these look too good not to try! They're on my list of must do's.....one cannot go wrong with Strawberries and lemon!!!!!

Alicia Foodycat said...

These look so good! Funny thing, I was making jam thumbprint cookies on Sunday but I ran out of butter and subbed some cream cheese in. So the recipe was almost the same as this!

Pam said...

Those little beauties would be very dangerous for me!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season & a Happy New Year Grace!!! xoxo

Scott at Real Epicurean said...

I have no idea what it's called, but I'll be giving it a try anyway - they look delicious.

Faith said...

These look amazing, Grace! In my house, they definitely wouldn't last long enough for Santa to get his paws on them! ;)

lisa is cooking said...

I love a jam-filled cookie, and seeing cream cheese in the ingredient list convinces me I need to try this one. Happy Holidays to you!

Dana said...

What a perfect name for that cookie!

Carolyn Jung said...

Cream cheese AND jam? I am totally sold. ;)

Kerstin said...

Definitely very festive and just perfect for a holiday cookie tray!

Robin said...

GOUT! You are a hoot! I love these kind of cookies and it has been ages since I have had one. Do you ship? Have a Merry Christmas Grace!

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

Haha I'll take some of your gout-perhaps not other gout though! :P

Gloria Baker said...

delicious Grace! like all you made:))) Have a happy and wonderful Christmas:))

shaz said...

Very, very GOUT. Ha ha ha! They do look delightful, and I like the added nuttiness on the outside. Have a wonderful Christmas Grace :)

Hornsfan said...

GOUT, really lol that's pretty funny. These are really pretty, I'm sure they taste just as good :)

raquel said...

how about mango jam on top instead of strawberry jam? nice recipe and it looks easy to prepare

Erica said...

That cookie looks amazing!Happy holidays to you and your family!

Admin said...

May I come and live at your house?

Katerina said...

Jam filled cookies would pair perfectly with my evening cup of hot chocolate!

Beth said...

These cookies look amazing. I'll definitely try them. Merry Christmas to you, too!

kat said...

Ohhh I can almost taste it!

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

I love the name and they look so good. Merry Christmas!

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

Merry Christmas lovely Grace! :D May it be full of cinnamon dusted treats! :D

Anonymous said...

Definitely a gem! Yum! Merry Christmas!

~~louise~~ said...

Precious! Perfect for popping in one's mouth.

Thanks for sharing, Grace. A Very Merry Christmas to You and Yours!

Lori said...

They look so delicious. Merry Christmas!

Half Baked said...

Yum one of my favorite Christmas cookies! Have a wonderful Christmas!

scrambledhenfruit said...

Gout..Ha Ha! These gems would be a wonderful addition to my cookie stash- I haven't baked nearly enough yet. :) I hope you have a Merry Christmas and all the blessings of the season!

vanillasugarblog said...

with the pecans in there, why yes they are a total gem!
merry christmas ms. grace!

Carolyn Jung said...

Jam-filled cookies are the perfect treat with tea or coffee. Plus, I love how you can vary the taste by just changing up the jam. Happy holidays to you!

Anonymous said...

MMMM, dear Grace!

What stunning & festive jam filled cookies! Yummie too! :)

I hope you celebtrated a lovely Christmas!! xxx

The Blonde Duck said...

I never doubt you on baked goodies! Looks delish!

tom | tall clover farm said...

I'll have to upgrade their name; at our house we always called them thumbprint cookies. One of my favorites and I look forward to trying your version. Merci!

turmericnspice said...

Love to bite into one of them :)

Seo Services said...

very nice i like it ....