Cookie Baking: Try Membrillo in Thumbprint Cookies

One of our favorite fall treats is tender little thumbprint cookies filled with jam — a small indulgence, quickly baked, and great with an afternoon cup of tea. We usually fill ours with raspberry jam, but we just discovered a new filling, and a great use for something that's been languishing in the back of the fridge: membrillo, or Spanish quince paste.

Membrillo is a paste made from quince and sugar. The quince is cooked for a long time with the sugar, and its natural abundance of pectin means that it sets, finally, into a very firm, sweet paste. It also turns a brilliant deep orange color. Membrillo is often served on a cheese plate; it's a natural accompaniment to the Spanish Manchego cheese.

I had a little box of membrillo in the back of the refrigerator, left over from a cheese plate a few weeks ago. (Membrillo is like jam; as long as it's refrigerated it doesn't go bad — at least, not quickly.) I noticed it while giving my fridge the Cure once-over and wondered if there was anything I could do with it before buying another hunk of Manchego.

Then I saw these cookies at Eat a Duck I Must: Mrs. Fields' Surprise-Filled Cookies — with membrillo! Of course! Membrillo, with its thick texture, is easy to dab into cookies, and its delicious mix of floral and tangy flavors makes it a wonderful complement to sweet thumbprints.

Delicious, and well worth the literally 10 minutes it took to whip these up.

• Get the recipe: Mrs. Fields' Surprise-Filled Cookies at Eat a Duck I Must

Do you have a favorite use for membrillo or quince jam?

Related: Raspberry-Cornmeal Thumbprint Cookies from Glorious Grits

(Image: Faith Durand)

Ooh, I might try this with the fig jam I have left over from canning.

Also, does anyone have a suggestion for making a bigger version of a thumbprint cookie? I'd like to make something like this for a bake sale, but these cookies are too small. I need something where one piece is a single serving. Should I just make a big flat cookie with a rim around the edge to hold the jam?

- Amelia of Gradually Greener

posted by GreenCayennes on October 26th 2009 at 12:51pm
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Faith, my husband is from Uruguay, where dulce de membrillo is in every grocery store. I found some at an Argentine market on Chicago's north side where I can get my fix. And now I found out my favorite Michigan orchard is growing quince so I'm going to try making it myself. Your little thumbprints might be my signature cookie this holiday season -- every year I send a recipe themed to the big event of the year, and since we were married in February this might do the trick. Thanks for the idea!

Cheers,
Janine

posted by Janine at Rustic Kitchen on October 26th 2009 at 1:51pm
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Interesting, very interesting, especially as there's an 8x8 pan of membrillo cooling in my oven at this very moment. I'll post a link once it's up. I made mine very tart, though, but I guess it'll just contrast with the sweetness of the cookies.

posted by rosasharne on October 26th 2009 at 2:27pm
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Wow. I can't imagine a box of expensive Mitica membrillo languishing in my domicile for any reason.

posted by storyscribe on October 26th 2009 at 8:30pm
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In Australia those cookie are called jam drops.

posted by bkk on October 26th 2009 at 8:52pm
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Jam drop recipe http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/7317/jam drops in case anyone's interested.

posted by bkk on October 26th 2009 at 8:54pm
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brilliant! Here in Spain membrillo is just a boring dessert with cheese option, nobody ever thought of anywhing so cool. I´m going to wow everyone with these.

posted by lobstersquad on October 27th 2009 at 7:21am
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Just got back from Spain with a box of membrillo! Thanks for the idea.

(I know I did something clever with our last batch of membrillo but for the life of me, can't remember what that was!)

posted by mschatelaine on October 27th 2009 at 10:15am
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oh, heck yes!! membrillo thumbprint cookies are excellent! Latino households almost always have membrillo in the fridge! Also excellent are thumbprint cookies with fig jam (mentioned by GreenCayennes)

I know what I'll be baking tonite!

posted by jetsetter66 on October 27th 2009 at 1:20pm
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