#10DaysofTailgate: Quince Butter Thumbprint Cookies

This is my only sweet creation for #10DaysofTailgate...

I love quince. If you're unfamiliar, here's a piece I wrote for Edible Monterey Bay in August: Queen of Quince Takes Her Show on the Road. So, when some friends left me a bag full of quince last weekend, I hooped, hollered, and prepared to quince. One of my favorite things to make: quince butter. We can never have enough. So, for the only #10DaysofTailgate dessert I'm making, I decided to incorporate quince butter.

Ingredients

Quince Butter makes 2 quart jars

4 large quince, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 C white balsamic vinegar
2 C water
1 C organic granulated sugar
1 T ground cinnamon
1 t ground cloves
1 t ground nutmeg
1 t ground cardamom

Cookie Dough makes approximately 30

3/4 C butter, at room temperature
3/4 C organic granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
2 C white whole wheat flour
1/2 C ground almonds
zest from one lemon
1 t vodka
1 t cold water

Procedure

Quince Butter
Put quince pieces into wide thick-bottomed pot, add all ingredients, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cook until pieces are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove cover and cook uncovered, stirring constantly to prevent burning and encourage evaporation. Scrape the bottom of the pot while you stir to make sure a crust is not forming at the bottom. Cook until thick and smooth, about one hour.

Spoon the butter into sterilized jars, leaving about a 1/2" gap to the top. Gently tap the bottom of each jar on the counter to release any air bubbles. Using a damp clean towel, wipe the rims of the jars and secure the lids and rings. Process in a water bath for 10-15 minutes. Remove the containers with tongs and let cool on the counter. You’ll hear the sound of can tops popping shortly—a sign that a secure seal has been made. Pop, pop, pop. Or, you can refrigerate the jar without processing and use it within three weeks. Enjoy!

Thumbprint Cookie
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in the egg yolks until incorporated. Stir in the flour and ground almonds until a flaky dough is formed. Add in the zest, water, and vodka, gently working the dough until it forms a ball.

Pinch off pieces of dough and form into small balls, about the size of a walnut in its shell. Place each ball onto the baking stone or baking sheet, pressing a "thumbprint" into the center of each and slightly flattening. (The cookies will not spread, so make them the size that you want!)

Add about 1/2 t to 1 t of quince butter or whatever jam or jelly you have on hand to each thumbprint. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cookies cool for several minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.