Every time I visit Amsterdam, I visit my favorite Albert Heijn grocery store near our hotel and pick up baking cocoa (Dutch Cocoa is best, by far), stroopwaffles, and favorite cookies called gember koekjes. Recently, I decided to try to make gember koekjes at home – they consist of a crumbly butter cookie with a large thumbprint of spicy ginger preserves – Yum! Although you can make your own ginger preserves, jars are available at specialty stores such as World Market, some larger US grocery stores, Asian grocery stores, and Amazon. If you are a ginger aficionado, you’ll want to make these Buttery Ginger Thumbprints. They are delicious, and they keep well in an airtight container.

Incidentally, If you don’t have pastry flour, you can mix 2 tablespoons all purpose flour with 2 tablespoons cake flour. The flours and cornstarch make the shortbread base very tender, so it’s a good idea to use them in your cookies. Baking them at a lower temperature gives them a more crumbly texture; if your oven tends to be a little hotter, reduce the temperature to 300°; the cookies will take a bit longer to bake, but will melt in your mouth.

3 dozen cookies


1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons softened butter, (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon vanilla

3/4 cup ginger preserves

1. Preheat oven to 325°.
2. Place a fine strainer over a mixing bowl; measure the flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, pastry flour, and salt into the strainer and shake through.
3. Add the butter and vanilla and mix until it holds together.
4. Scoop 1" balls from the mixture, roll them in your hands, and place the balls on a silpat-lined or parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Using your thumb, press an indentation into each of the balls; fill the indentations with the ginger preserves.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until the cookies are set, but not brown.
7. Remove from the oven, transfer to cooling racks, and let cool thoroughly.
8. Store in an airtight container for up to several weeks.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 93 Calories from Fat 41
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 44% Protein 3% Carb. 54%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 3 g
Cholesterol 12 mg
Sodium 79 mg
Total Carbohydrate 13 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 1 g

Vitamin A 3% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% Iron 1%