A little rosemary gives these apricot thumbprints a gently herbal note. Pine nuts go into the tender dough and around the edges, while thick apricot preserves fill the centers. Hand-shaping keeps the preparation simple and gives each small cookie its own character.
What makes these cookies work
Weigh and mince the rosemary finely; large leaves and a heavy hand can overwhelm the fruit. Make a generous well without piercing the base. Thick preserves stay in place more reliably than runny fruit spread.
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At a glance
Rosemary Apricot Cookies with Jam Centers and Pine Nut Crunch
- Prep time
- 45 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Total time
- 2 hr 30 min
- Yield
- 36 cookies
Total time includes 1 hr 15 min of additional time. See the instructions for details.
Ingredients for about 36 cookies
Active prep: about 45 minutes. Cooking and baking combined: about 30 minutes. Total including the stated resting, chilling and setting stages: about 150 minutes. Sheets bake one at a time; extra chilling may increase the total. Makes approximately 36 cookies; nutrition is per cookie.
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| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 250 g | all-purpose flour* |
| 150 g | softened unsalted butter |
| 70 g | powdered sugar |
| 1 | large egg yolk (about 18 g) |
| 15 g | whole milk |
| 50 g | pine nuts: finely grind 25 g and roughly chop 25 g |
| 1 g | fresh rosemary leaves, woody stems removed and leaves very finely chopped |
| 2 g | fine salt |
| 180 g | thick apricot preserves, large pieces finely mashed |
Instructions
- Briefly mix butter, powdered sugar, salt and rosemary until smooth. Mix in yolk and milk, then flour and the 25 g ground pine nuts just until a soft dough forms. Do not taste raw dough. Cover and chill 45 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), conventional heat, and line two sheets with parchment. Divide the dough into 36 roughly equal portions, about 18 g each. Roll, space apart and flatten slightly. Press deep wells with a small floured measuring spoon, leaving a closed base.
- Gently press the remaining 25 g chopped pine nuts into the rims. Add about 5 g apricot preserves to each well, using the full 180 g. If the shaped dough feels very soft, chill the filled sheets another 10 minutes.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 13–15 minutes, until the edges and bases are lightly golden. Do not touch the hot jam. Leave on the sheets 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to a rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes total.
Keep the herb subtle
The 1 g is the weight of stripped leaves, not a whole sprig. Do not replace it with the same weight of dried rosemary.
Make ahead and storage
Chill unfilled dough overnight if convenient. Keep completely cooled cookies in a closed container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 5 days. Bring out shortly before serving; the fruit centers gradually soften the crumb.
Estimated nutrition per cookie
Approximately 85 calories, 10.4 g carbohydrate, 1.1 g protein and 4.6 g fat per cookie when making 36. Calculated from the full base recipe, including its filling, icing and decoration where used. Ingredients, coating left behind and actual cookie size affect the estimates.
Contains: wheat (gluten), milk, egg and pine nuts.
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