Cher Yujuico highlights seasonal pears in the jam for her holiday thumbprint cookies, which she’s adding to her annual family Christmas cookie tin this year. “I wanted a fruit in season in winter,” Yujuico says. “And pear with ginger to make it nice and warm.”
Both the jam and the cookie have a ginger kick. And because Yujuico says she prefers chewy cookies, she made a few adjustments to her version of thumbprints so that they’re softer than the usual sturdy-crumbly-shortbread variety. Instead of only butter, she uses both butter and oil for a moister cookie, and adds a little cornstarch to the flour mixture too — a suggestion from her brother, who’s a chemist. The cornstarch softens the proteins in the flour, and the result is a more tender crumb.
Note: This is a very soft dough, so be sure to freeze the shaped cookies for 30 minutes. The cookies are best enjoyed the same or next day. Save any leftover jam in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
