When it comes to Valentine’s Day I’m not a red and pink kinda girl. I love rustic desserts that are not overly sweet or complicated. When trying to think of a romantic dessert I wanted to share a treat that not only girls would like, but guys and children would enjoy too.

These cookies are made with Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening Baking Sticks. Crisco® shortening delivers higher, lighter-textured baked goods while also keeping them moist and tender. They also come in a measurable, easy-to-use package. Adding orange extract and orange zest to the dough gives these soft and tender cookies a subtle citrus flavor.

The only thing better than a cookie is a cookie with a filling. These Mexican inspired cookies will melt in your mouth and melt your heart. They are filled with cajeta, which is a thick and sweet confection made from sweetened caramelised goat’s milk. 

I’ve teamed up with Crisco®, as a Crisco® Creator, to help inspire home cooks with new recipe ideas and cooking and baking tips. Visit Crisco.com or search #CriscoCreators on social media to find more great recipes.

Cajeta Thumbprint Cookies

5 (2 ratings)
Adding orange extract and orange zest to the dough gives these soft and tender cookies a subtle citrus flavor. Perfect for the holidays!
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Yield: 42 cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Chilling: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 stick Crisco® Butter Flavor All-Vegetable Shortening Baking Sticks
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon orange extract
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 ½ cups Pillsbury BEST™ All Purpose Flour
  • cajeta, recommend squeeze bottle

Instructions 

  • Beat shortening, water, sugars, orange extract, orange zest, and salt at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 to 5 minutes until creamy.
  • Add flour; beat until blended.
  • Shape dough into 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon per ball).
  • Places 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
  • Press thumb or end of a wooden spoon into each ball, forming an indentation. Chill for 20 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Bake 15 minutes or until bottoms are light golden brown. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes. Squeeze ½ teaspoon cajeta into each indentation.

Notes

Feel free to use homemade salted caramel sauce instead of cajeta. 
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 81.59kcal, Carbohydrates: 14.25g, Protein: 0.89g, Fat: 2.52g, Saturated Fat: 0.63g, Cholesterol: 0.08mg, Sodium: 35.63mg, Potassium: 17mg, Fiber: 0.27g, Sugar: 3.3g, Vitamin A: 7.2IU, Vitamin C: 0.02mg, Calcium: 6.81mg, Iron: 0.37mg
Author: Yvette Marquez
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American

As a participant of a Crisco® Ambassador Program, I’ve received compensation for my time and product samples for review purposes. Opinions are my own.