Amish-Inspired Jems

It was nearly two in the afternoon, so the caramel rolls and blackberry pies were gone. Only crumbs remained. In fact, nearly all the shelves in the sparse, clean bakery were bare. But there, tucked in the back, lay a single jar of peach jam. I snatched it up.

My friends and I had stumbled into an Amish bakery near Hazleton, Iowa. The Amish abstain from silly tokens of modernity like electricity or cell phones, but they know a thing or two about baking. I've spent many a blissful day at the Farmers' Market poring over their fresh pies (and strapping young lads), so when I ventured into horse-and-buggy territory, I couldn't resist taking a peek at their offerings. The unadorned jar with a white lid proved just what I was looking for. After all, it was the closest I would get to a peach for months.

Yet it just didn't seem right to just slather the lovely tangerine-hued jam over bread. No, this needed special treatment, something to ease the pain of this death-defying winter. And so I stumbled upon a cookie recipe at Epicurious. I did some serious modifying to their original blueprint, eliminating several hours of finicky preparation. Ultimately, I pared it down to a cookie that is simple, Amish-ly so, if I say so myself. (If any Old Order folks out there are reading this on their iPhones, I'd love to hear any feedback).


Amish Jem Cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 large egg (beat a whole egg and only use half)
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
About 6 tablespoons peach jam (preferably Amish-made)

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in salt, vanilla, and egg until well combined. Add flour and combine just until dough forms. Refrigerate an hour or freeze, well-wrapped, for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll dough into one-inch balls. Place on a cookie sheet and press each with thumb to form an indentation. Fill each thumbprint with a small amount of jam. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until golden.

Makes about 4 dozen bite-size cookies