jammy crumble cookies

My, what a gloomy day. The off-and-on pouring rain is something else. (Whenever it increases to a heavy roar, and then stays at that level, I’m reminded of Hurricane Mitch — how the rain thundered on the tile roof of our little adobe house in northern Nicaragua for four days straight, so steady and oppressive, so loud.) But hey, it’s Friday and I’ve got cookies, so cheer up, folks!

These are immediate must-make cookies. I came across the recipe one day and made them the next — a double batch. (I had a feeling.) That same afternoon, I sent some over to my parents with my daughter, and then my mother called me with her mouth still full. What are these? They’re amazing! Send me the recipe.

This morning I had one with my coffee. My husband had one, too. And then he had another.

Now, mid-morning, the cake plate has been emptied [brushes crumbs from lips] and restocked with the cookies I’d foolishly thought I would squirrel away in the freezer. 

I fully expect the plate to be empty by bedtime. 

Jammy Crumble Cookies
Adapted from Dinner With Julie.

I made mine with red raspberry jam but I think fruit preserves (thick jam sauce made without the addition of pectin and often with slightly less sugar, like in this red raspberry sauce) might be even better. How about fig? Black raspberry? Spiced apple pie filling? A berry blend? You get the idea.

I strongly recommend doubling the recipe.

for the cookie:
½ cup butter
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt

Cream the butter and sugars. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla. Mix in the flour and salt.

for the crumble:
¼ cup oats, any kind
¼ cup flour
¼ cup pecans
¼ cup coconut
¼ cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons butter

Put all the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until crumbly. 

to assemble:
the butter dough
the crumb topping
½ cup jam

Divide the butter dough into 12 balls. Place each ball in a well-greased muffin tin and press it down in the center with your fingers; the “dip” needs to be large enough to hold at least 1 teaspoon of jam.

Fill the “dips” with jam and generously spoon the crumbs on the outside edges of the cookies, leaving a space in the center for the jam to peak through. Really pile it on.

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Let them cool for 10-20 minutes before running a knife around the edge and carefully coaxing each cookie from its cup.

These store well at room temperature, and they can be frozen as well (but don’t bother).

This same time, years previous: six fun things, introducing how we homeschool: a series, what we ate, of mice and men and other matters, unleashing the curls!, George Washington Carver sweet potato soup with peanut butter and ginger, butternut squash galette with caramelized onions and goat cheese, the quotidian (11.11.13), pumpkin cranberry cream cheese muffins.