Saturday, June 5, 2010

SMS: Pistachio Linzer Thumbprints


This week's SMS was graciously hosted by Tracey at Tracey's Culinary Adventures. However, my SMS assignment almost wasn't this week. 

The whole thing was a comedy of errors starting with the fact that my cookbook was in the wrong state :-( For the last couple weeks, I've been in the process of moving my husband and most of our stuff to Arizona from Nebraska. In the hustle, I realized that I didn't have my book in AZ - it was still in NE (I had to come back to finish up school). Knowing that my opportunities to bake in my new kitchen will be pretty limited until I finish up school next spring, I really wanted to bake along this week. Thankfully, Tracey was able to email me the recipe, and off to the grocery store I went as our new pantry was quite bare.

After I got home, I realized I had forgotten the pistachios. Fail again. Back to the store I went. At least I was getting to learn my way around town in AZ :-) The final straw was realizing that I left the butter out on the counter after my first trip to the grocery store. As it turns out, butter left out when it is 100+ degrees outside is no longer cold. 

Finally, my fourth shot at making these cookies went surprisingly well. Maybe the 4th try is the charm? I, like a couple others, noticed that my dough was a little dry and crumbly. While I chilled it like the recipe stated, I wasn't sure it needed it because I ended up with lots of cracks while thumbprinting my cookies. Dough aside, these cookies are quite good. I think they surprised my husband a little bit. I think they look "Christmasy" with the green pistachios and red colored jam. 

I wasn't sure what fine but not powdery was suppose to look like? This is where I ended up stopping :-)

A big thanks to Tracey for hosting and assisting my baking this week! I'm quite sure my husband appreciates the cookies ;-)

8 comments:

  1. These look beautiful. I liked the contrast of colors. Hope all is well in Arizona! Great day in Nebraska today!

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  2. These look great! I haven't made them yet but I have read over the recipe and I love that someone else wondered what "fine but not powdery" is supposed to look like!

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  3. Hey Tessa! Your cookies turned out wonderfully - so glad you were able to bake along despite being busy with your big move :) My dough cracked too when I tried to make the thumbprints but the final result turned out ok, nice and rustic! I think it's a fine line between keeping the butter cold enough that the cookies don't spread a ton in the oven but not making the dough so cold it's impossible to make the holes for the jam.

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  4. I'm curious as to how my dough will look when I make them (this week- I had to get cupcakes done.)

    Glad yours turned out, even with dry/crumbly and glad to see you're moved into AZ!

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  5. Your cookies look beautiful! Nicely done. Glad to hear you were able to bake along this while being between states. These were fun to make!

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  6. This looks great! Wow, I couldn't imagine moving that intensely. I've only really moved within California in the past 10 years. I'm moving to a different apartment in Berkeley so hopefully that doesn't happen, but if it does, the walk is only like 10 minutes between my apartments.

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  7. They look delicious, and your persistence is inspiring!

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  8. You ended up,putting a lot of effort into these. They turned out fine, as far as I can see.

    I had a few that I kept back from the shower and I brough them into my class. Would you believe that ten year old boys fought over them and loved them?

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