Delicious classic thumbprint cookies made filled with strawberry jam filling. With buttery flavor and a melt in your mouth texture, they are perfect for the holidays or any occasion.
It’s so quiet in the house this afternoon. I can see the crispy golden leaves lay scattered on the ground, I can smell the dampness filling my nostrils and I can hear the silence inside the house. The clouds are heavy and grey, and the sunlight can’t make it through my living room.
My baking is in full mode and so is my oven. It has been working constantly since last week. Christmas spirit is around us and I am thinking how different Christmas this year will be again. No matter how different it is, I still want to make the most of it and hope you will do the same.
Thumbprint cookies are popular around the holidays, but they make a delicious and quick snack all year round. You can fill them with seasonal fruit jam, but my favorite has always been strawberry. These cookies yield a buttery, crumbly texture, and with the sweetness of the jam filling, they make simple and decadent cookies that anyone will love!
THUMBPRINT COOKIE BASE
Thumbprint cookies are just basic shortbread cookies with a well in the center and filled with fruit jam. The name came as a result of pressing the thumbprint in the middle of the cookie dough. Made of flour, sugar, butter and salt, the shortbread cookies have a crumbly and tender texture, but I added 1 egg yolk for more richness in the dough.
FILLING
Jam is my favorite part in these thumbprint cookies. Strawberry is my go-to filling but raspberry, blueberry, apricot and any flavor works too, so just stick with your favorite. Beside the fruit jam or preserves, you can use chocolate ganache, peanut butter or lemon curd.
More Holiday Cookies:
Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (120g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks/170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup strawberry jam/preserves or your flavor of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Slowly add flour and beat just until combined. Do not overmix.
- At this point, the dough is soft enough to work with. If the dough is too soft, chill dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Roll dough into 1-1.5 inch balls (or 1 tablespoonful), place onto prepared baking sheets, leaving the space of 2 inch between cookies. Use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to make a well into the center of each cookie and fill with about 1/2 teaspoon jam.
- Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies become golden brown at the edges. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for a week.
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