Cheryl Dougherty’s Christmas Jewels won the Boulder City Review’s fourth annual Christmas cookie contest.
The judges said they liked the cookie’s toasted coconut exterior and sweet jam center. They also liked the versatility of being able to choose a favorite jam. For her entry, Dougherty used huckleberry jam, which gave the cookies a rich, purple color.
“I’m shocked,” Dougherty said about winning. She has been making the cookies for many years and can’t remember where she got the recipe. She came up with the name Christmas Jewels one year and it stuck.
“My favorite jelly is huckleberry so I like to use that,” she said.
She moved to Boulder City from Henderson four years ago. “I love the small town and community aspect of Boulder City,” she said.
Christmas Jewels
3 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ½ cups flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg beaten with a tablespoon of water
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Jam, any flavor
Preheat oven to 350.
Beat sugar and butter together for 3-5 minutes. Add vanilla.
Sift flour and salt together, then slowly add to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until the dough starts to come together.
Dump the dough out onto a floured board and press into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll chilled dough into 1 ¼-inch balls. Dip in egg wash and then roll in coconut.
Place on balls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press thumb into the middle of each ball. Add jam and bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Makes approximately 30 cookies.