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Classic Thumbprint Cookies with Jam Filling Recipe

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4.1 from 15 reviews

Classic American thumbprint cookies featuring a buttery, tender dough rolled in sugar and filled with your choice of jam or preserves. This recipe yields perfectly soft and crumbly cookies with a sweet, fruity center, ideal for dessert or teatime treats.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 1 minute
  • Yield: 24 cookies

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • ⅓ cup (70 g) sugar
  • ⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar, tightly packed
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ¾ teaspoon vanilla flavoring
  • 2 ¼ cups (280 g) all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Finishing

  • ½ cup sugar for rolling (optional)
  • ⅓ cup (105 g) jam or preserves of your choice (e.g., raspberry preserves)

Instructions

  1. Cream the Butter: Place the softened unsalted butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large bowl with an electric hand mixer) and beat until creamy and smooth.
  2. Add Sugars: Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add sugar and light brown sugar, then beat on medium-high speed for about 30 to 60 seconds until well combined and fluffy.
  3. Mix in Egg Yolk and Vanilla: Add the egg yolk and vanilla flavoring to the bowl and beat well to incorporate evenly.
  4. Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt to ensure they are well blended.
  5. Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until completely combined. The dough will be dry and crumbly; pause occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. If necessary, finish kneading the dough by hand until it fully comes together.
  6. Form Dough Balls: Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls and roll them well by hand, ensuring each ball is smooth with no cracks or seams to prevent cracking during baking.
  7. Chill the Dough: Place the dough balls in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm up before baking. (Note: chilling time based on recipe total time)
  8. Create Thumbprints and Fill: Remove chilled dough balls from the refrigerator. Use your thumb or the back of a small spoon to gently press an indentation into the center of each ball. Be careful not to press too deeply to avoid breaking the cookie.
  9. Fill with Jam: Spoon approximately ½ teaspoon of your chosen jam or preserves into each indentation, filling but not overflowing.
  10. Bake the Cookies: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Arrange the prepared cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, spacing them evenly. Bake for 11 minutes until the edges are lightly golden but the centers are still soft.
  11. Cool and Serve: Remove cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally, roll the dough balls in sugar before making the thumbprints for added sweetness and slight texture on the exterior.

Notes

  • You can use any flavor of jam or preserves you like, raspberry is classic.
  • Rolling the dough balls well and ensuring no cracks will prevent the cookies from splitting during baking.
  • Chilling the dough before making the thumbprints helps keep the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
  • Rolling the dough balls in sugar before pressing thumbprints adds a sweet crunchy coating.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or freeze for longer storage.
  • Author: Maya
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 11 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://recipeteach.com/classic-thumbprint-cookies-with-jam-filling-recipe/