Rhubarb-filled cookies
Yield: 4 1/2 dozen
1 cup butter (no substitutions), softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Filling
3 1/2 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons water, divided
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Cream butter and sugars.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well (dough will be sticky).
4. For filling, combine the rhubarb, sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a large saucepan.
5. Bring to boil. Reduce heat;simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.
6. Combine cornstarch and remaining water until smooth, stir into the rhubarb mixture. Bring to a boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.
8. Drop dough by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
9. Make an indentation in the center of the cookie, and fill with about a teaspoon or so of the filling.
10. Top with 1/2 teaspoon of dough or as desired. Allow some filling to show.
11. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until dough set and lightly browned.
Note: any leftover rhubarb filling may be stored, covered and used as a spread on toast or a topping for ice cream. Works great on toast.
Julie's added notes. I used a scoop that is half the size of an ice cream scoop to make the cookies and used my fingers (yes, I washed my hands!) to make the indentation. The filling is enough for a double batch so the next time I do it I will cut the filling recipe in half unless one wants to have the leftover for other uses. I also baked them for 11 minutes (I think I made my cookies bigger than the recipe noted, or my oven bakes differently than the one used in the recipe). I baked them on parchment on a cookie sheet and let them cool on the parchment after removing from the oven. They are kind of soft and they would stick to a regular cookie sheet if I did not use the parchment available where the plastic wrap, waxed paper is sold, if you do not already have it..
Since our rhubarb is green, not red, I used drops of red food coloring to achieve the color. :)
