Last Minute Valentine's Day Gift: Recipes for a Week of Cookies (Inspired by Dorie Greenspan's CookieBar)

Honey-Sweetened Whole Grain Thumbprint Cookies

In need of a last-minute Valentine's Day gift that doesn't feel generic, I'm finally surrendering to my current obsession for cookies -- since I first heard of Dorie Greenspan's pop-up CookieBar it seems cookies are always on my mind! -- and gifting my Valentine with a week of cookies. It's CookieBar at home. I love to bake, and my husband loves to eat, so the Valentine's Week of Cookies begins.

This morning I started with a simple, relatively healthy recipe for Honey-Sweetened Thumbprint Cookies from 101 Cookbooks. The cookies rely on honey and fruit for sweetness and use whole wheat and oats rather than white flour. They are quite sweet with a hint of saltiness and an almost scone-like texture.

They are delicious just as they are, but also easy to alter to satisfy your Valentine's tastes or avoid a grocery-run by using the ingredients you already have at home. Use different fillings to effortlessly create an assortment of cookies, or a variety of fruit spreads to make prettier plate without doing any extra work.

To keep it quick for a last-minute gift, I halved 101 Cookbook's recipe -- this means just one tray in the oven -- and made larger cookies -- fewer cookies to measure and fill. While you let the dough stiffen for 2-3 minutes, clean up, then, while the cookies bake for 9-12 minutes, write a card and get a nice box or plate ready. 

Honey-Sweetened Whole Grain Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
from 101 Cookbooks
yields about 14 cookies

dough
liquid ingredients

• 1/3 cup honey 
• 1/8 cup plus 2 teaspoons purchased ghee (clarified butter) melted over low heat
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

dry ingredients

• zest from half a Meyer lemon
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/8 cup oat bran
• 1 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 
• scant 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

filling
Keep in mind that the dough is sweet when choosing the filling. Otherwise, the adaptations are endless. Let your imagination run wild! or choose one, an array, or a combination of these fillings:

• selection of fruit spreads/ fruit-sweetened jams to make cookies with different colored centers
• sour cream filling: combine 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons sour cream, 2 1/2 teaspoons honey, 1/8 tsp fresh Meyer lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract (added benefit is that this uses some of the juice of the lemon you zest for the cookie dough)
• fresh fruit, such as raspberries or blackberries
• chopped dried fruit
• chopped nuts

to make

• Put rack in top third of oven.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk together honey, ghee and vanilla in a large bowl.
• In medium bowl, mix dry ingredients and lemon zest.
• Add the dry mixture to the liquids. Stir until just combined. 
• Allow the dough to sit until stiff, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
• Measure 1 tablespoon dough and roll it into a ball. Repeat for all 14 cookies, placing on baking sheet with about 2 inches between each cookie.
• Moisten your hands and use your thumb to make a well in each dough ball.
• Fill each well with 1/2 teaspoon filling of choice.
• Bake until the bottom edges are golden, about 9 - 12 minutes. The cookies should still be soft, but not sticky. 

Measure 1 tablespoon dough and roll it into a ball. Repeat for all 14 cookies, placing on baking sheet with about 2 inches between each cookie.

Moisten your hands and use your thumb to make a well in each dough ball.

Fill each well with 1/2 teaspoon filling of choice.

Let your imagination run wild!

Notes:
I didn't have rolled oats, so used oat bran.
The grocery store was out of lemons, so I used a Meyer lemon instead.
You can use coconut oil instead of ghee.
The sour cream filling was a nice contrast to the sweet dough.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!