Jumbles # 2

Jumbles are one of America’s oldest cookies, born in colonial kitchens long before drop cookies became standard. This version pairs a tender, spiced cake-style dough (warm with nutmeg and cinnamon) with a jelly filling that peeks through three windows poked in the top round with a thimble.

The dough is what makes this distinct from a modern thumbprint. Sour milk (or buttermilk) gives it tang and reacts with the baking soda for tender lift, while the egg and brown sugar push toward soft and chewy rather than crisp. You roll it like a sugar cookie and cut rounds, but the texture has more give once baked.

Grape jelly is the traditional filling, though raspberry or apricot work just as well. The hot 425 oven sets the dough quickly so the jelly stays bright and doesn’t bubble out.

Pro Tips

• Chill the dough until firm before rolling. Soft dough sticks to the board and tears around the thimble holes.
• Don’t overfill with jelly. A teaspoon per cookie is plenty. More and it oozes out the holes and burns onto the pan.
• Cool on the sheet for two minutes before transferring. Hot, the jelly is molten and will spill if you move them too soon.

Variations

• Use raspberry, apricot, or fig jam in place of grape for a more sophisticated flavor.
• Add the zest of one lemon to the dough for a brighter, almost shortbread-leaning bite.
• Roll the dough thinner (¼ inch) and cut smaller rounds for a more delicate cookie.