It’s Day 8 of our 12 Days of Cookies! Today’s cookies are Thumbprint Cookies.
Over the years I have made an assortment of thumbprint cookies, with different fillings and rolled in different toppings. Today, we are rolling our cookies in granulated sugar, but you can roll them in chopped nuts, sprinkles, cocoa powder, sanding sugar, or coconut and you can fill them with jam before baking like we did, or after they’re baked and use other fillings like ganache, caramel, nut butters or buttercream. It really is quite a versatile cookie.
Thumbprint Cookies have been around since the 1800’s and were typically filled with raspberry or apricot jam. In Sweden these are known as Hallongrotta which means “raspberry cave” and in Australia these are called jam drops. No matter what they’re called, these shortbread-like cookies are tasty filled with your favorite jam! They are the perfect cookie for the holidays! You can also drizzle with white chocolate a festively colored chocolate or a simple vanilla icing. These cookies are sure to be a hit on your holiday table!
Let’s get started!
Today, I only made a half batch of these cookies, since my freezer is filling up with all the different cookies we have made these last 7 days! I will give the recipe below for the full batch and half batch.
First, cream the butter and sugar together.
The sugar should be mixed well into the sugar and it should look light and fluffy.
Add egg yolk and vanilla. Beat well.
I always mix by hand so I can feel what it’s like and this felt light and fluffy! Time for flour.
Mix half the flour in along with the salt. Stir well.
Add remaining flour and stir well. If dough seems crumbly, just work it by hand – the dough will come together.
I divided the dough into two. One portion I used a cookie scoop to make the cookies. I then rolled it in sugar and placed it on the cookie sheet.
The other portion of dough, I rolled into a log and cut into slices. I rolled each slice into a round ball before rolling in sugar and placing on the cookie sheet.
These were the cookies that I used the cookie scoop with. Once rolled in sugar, I placed on the cookie sheet and put an indent in the cookie. Then I added a bit of strawberry jam in. Be sure to not add too much jam because as it bakes, it will overflow and run out of the cookie.
This batch I rolled from the cut slices. The remaining steps were exactly the same — roll in sugar, place indent in cookie, spoon in some jam and bake.
Bake at 350F for 10 to 14 minutes or just until edges are lightly golden. Do not overbake. Loosen cookies when warm and then let cool completely before drizzling with white chocolate. The cookies can cool on the cookie sheet or on a wire rack. I cooled the cookies both ways and it did not make much of a difference with these cookies whether they cooled on the rack or cookie sheet.
These cookies are amazing! So yummy! And they taste great with or without the white chocolate although the white chocolate does cut some of the sweetness from the jam. These cookies taste a little like shortbread and a bit like a spritz cookie with jam. They are absolutely delicious!
I do like the look of the sliced and rolled by hand cookies rather then the cookie scoop, although once you scoop the cookie, you can definitely roll the cookie for a smoother looking cookie. Either way, they are scrumptious! So much so, we nearly ate them all!
12 Days of Cookies… Day 8 — Thumbprint Cookies
Full Batch:
1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2-1/3 cups flour
jam of choice
Combine butter and sugar and beat well. Add egg yolks and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Add salt and half the flour. Stir well before adding the remaining flour. The mixture will be crumbly, but keep mixing — the dough will come together.
Use a 1 tbsp cookie scoop to measure out dough. Roll into balls. Roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheet.
Press your thumb in or use the handle of a wooden spoon to make an indent.
Spoon 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp of jam in centre of cookie.
Bake at 350F for 10 to 14 minutes or until cookies are set and bottoms are lightly browned.
Remove to cooling rack or loosen on cookie sheet and let stand on cookie sheet until cool.
Drizzle with white chocolate. Let set before packaging up. When freezing place parchment paper in between layers.
Half Batch:
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
1 cup + 3 tbsp flour
Mix as directed above.
