No-chill Thumbprint Cookies With Cranberry Sauce

• 1 1/4cup (162 g) Plain flour/All purpose flour 
• 1 tbsp (8 g) Corn flour/Corn starch 
• 1 Egg yolk (21 g), UK- medium size
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract 
• 1/4 cup (50 g) White granulated sugar 
• 1/2 cup (114 g) Unsalted Butter, Softened 

FOR TOPPING

• 3 tbsp granulated sugar 
• 3 tbsp desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
• 1/4 cup Thick Cranberry Sauce
• 2 tbsp White Chocolate (chopped)
• 1/8 tsp coconut oil

1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, corn flour and salt. Whisk them to mix well and set aside until needed.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add softened unsalted butter, sugar, and cream together at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add in the egg yolk and vanilla extract, then beat again until fully incorporated.
4. Add in the dry ingredients, and continue to beat on low until just combined. The mixture will be crumbly at first. Use your hands to fold the crumbly mixture into a dough ball. Now the dough is ready. Don’t over-mix it.
5. Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Preheat the Fan oven to 155C/311F (For a conventional oven it is 175C/347F).
6. Scoop up about one tbsp of dough and roll it into a ball. Roll in the granulated sugar or desiccated coconut. To avoid cracks, gently flatten it. Place on the baking sheet. Lightly flour the back of a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon and use it to press each ball down to make a deep dent in the middle. To avoid cracks, make an indentation in each ball immediately after rolling and flattening it. Repeat the same with the remaining balls. You should get about 18 balls from this dough.
7. Bake these unfilled cookies in a preheated fan oven for 12 minutes then take them out of the oven and fill the jam (about 1/2-1 tsp) in the centre (if the sauce is thick, microwave it for just 3-5 seconds), bake again in the oven for about 2-3 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are nicely golden brown, the tops are still pale in colour and the edges are set. The total baking time is approximately 14-15 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking, for evenly baking. Don’t over bake them because you want soft shortbread cookies that just melt in your mouth.
8. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Melt the white chocolate + coconut oil in the microwave at 20 seconds intervals, stirring well in between the intervals, until completely melted and smooth. Fill it in the piping bag, snip the tip away and drizzle on top of cooled cookies. Pop in the fridge to set the chocolate for 10-15 minutes.

NOTES

1. I have tested these cookies in two ways. You can fill the cranberry sauce in cookies before baking too but once they're baked, the bottom part of the cookies right below the centre remains soggy so I recommend that you bake your cookies first for 12 minutes then take them out of the oven and fill them with sauce or jam and then continue to bake for another 2-3 minutes. You can easily store and transport these cookies regardless of the way you chose to make them.
2. Keep these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can freeze them for up to 1 month. Place the cookies on a tray and freeze until firm (about an hour). Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container or a zip-lock bag. Thaw them in the fridge overnight or for a good amount of time before use.