Strawberry Jam and Goat Cheese Shortbread Thumbprints

Spring is in the air... and I want to put goat cheese on everything.  It's so fresh and tangy, and goes so well with the flavors of spring.  Baby lettuce salads, asparagus soup, berry desserts.  I love goat cheese.  I could eat it on just about anything.  These basic shortbread style thumbprints are a favorite recipe of mine because they can be flavored and filled with just about anything you have on hand.  Salted caramel, jam, chocolate, peanut butter, Nutella, pumpkin and cream cheese, even savory combinations (sans sugar) like bacon and cheddar... the variations are endless.  Here's my most recent combination.  Enjoy!

3/4 cup softened butter (1 1/2 sticks)

1/2 cup sugar

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

strawberry jam

goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar in mixer, mix in flour. Scrape bowl and mix again. It should be dry and crumbly. Dump out on counter top and press the dough together. Scoop dough into 1" balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat . Indent with thumb. Bake, one tray at a time, on the center rack for 13 minutes, rotating tray after 10 minutes. Cookies should be golden around the edges. Fill warm cookies with a small dot of goat cheese and top with strawberry jam. Allow to cool completely before eating.