Mango Thumbprints with Hibiscus Chili Sugar (with Gluten-Free option)

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Preparation time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Bake time: 20 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
For Mango Jam:
  • 2 ripe Ataulfo or champagne mangos*
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp. Pomona's Universal Pectin (*see note to substitute Sure-Jell low sugar pectin)
  • 1/4 tsp. calcium water (only if using Pomona's pectin)
  • 3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
  • pinch of salt
For Hibiscus Sugar:
  • 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. finely ground dried hibiscus flowers (bring in a mortar and pestle or by pulsing in a spice or coffee grinder)
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (or to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp. fleur de sel or another finishing salt
For Cookies:
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour*
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:
  1. For Mango Jam: remove the skin from mangos, then cut off flesh around the pit.  Coarsely chop and then place in a food processor.  Squeeze the mango pit, wringing off as much juice and pulp as possible.  Process until smooth, 20 to 30 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.  Strain puree through a fine-mesh sieve.  Measure out 1 cup puree. 
  2. Whisk sugar, cornstarch Pomona's pectin, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
  3. In a medium saucepan, stir together 1 cup mango puree, lime juice, calcium water (if using Pomona's pectin), and salt.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with heatproof rubber spatula, and bring to a full boil.  Add sugar-pectin mixture and stir vigorously until completely dissolved.  Return to a boil for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping bottom and sides of pan to prevent scorching, to ensure that cornstarch is fully cooked; it will become very thick.  Transfer to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature.
  4. For hibiscus sugar: whisk together sugar, hibiscus cayenne, and salt in a small bowl until evenly incorporated and set aside.
  5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a light or medium-colored heavy-weight baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.  Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Beat in egg yolk and vanilla extract.  Add flour and salt and mix until incorporated and the dough comes together in a ball.  If your dough is particularly sticky, you can refrigerate it for 30 minutes or so to make it easier to work with.
  6. Form dough into 1-inch balls and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.  Flatten balls slightly with the ball of your hand, then gently press your thumb or the back of a small spoon into the center of the cookie to leave a shallow indentation.
  7. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until the bottoms are just barely golden.  Remove baking sheet from oven.  Gently press the back of a spoon to redefine thumbprints, and then fill each with approximately 1/2 tsp. of jam (I find using a piping bag works particularly well here).  Tap or spread out the filling just a bit to make the top smoother if necessary.  Sprinkle with a pinch or two of hibiscus sugar.  Return to the oven and bake for an additional 3 minutes, or until the filling levels out and the bottoms of the cookies are lightly golden.  Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool.
  8. Cookies will keep in an airtight container (refrigerated if using curd) for 3 to 5 days.

Notes:
  • This variety of mango, characterized by its golden yellow skin and smaller size, is much creamier and less stringy than its larger, green-and-red counterparts.  While the other will work (the riper the better), champagne mangos are superior and definitely worth seeking out.
  • To use Sure-Jell for low-sugar pectin (be sure you are using the low-sugar variety, regular Sure-Jell with NOT work here), whisk 1 1/2 tsp. pectin with sugar and cornstarch and add to the pan with mango puree and lime juice.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes to cook off all the cornstarch.  You do not need the calcium water part if using this kind of pectin.
  • Make these cookies Gluten-Free by replacing the all-purpose flour with Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour.

Recipe and picture provided by Eliza Christensen

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