Thumbprint Cookies

My family is of Eastern European heritage and, growing up, buttery, jam-filled, not-too-sweet treats appeared at most holidays and special get-togethers. They’re the perfect treat to enjoy with coffee or something to gift and share with others. That’s why I love these thumbprint cookies.

Thumbprint cookies are the American version of the original Swedish cookies hallongrottor, meaning “raspberry caves.” Made with a buttery, shortbread-like dough, the delightful tea cookies feature an indentation-worth of jam or preserves in the center. Each cookie features a little bite of fruit and butter, chew and jelly. They’re not terribly sweet but perfectly pleasing. Honestly, they’re one of the best cookie recipes to make any time of year.

You can enjoy thumbprint cookies whenever you like, but I like them best as a pre-breakfast snack when I put on the kettle and shake off the sleep. They’re just the thing to help me get the day started.

Ingredients for Thumbprint Cookies

• Butter: Salted vs. unsalted butter? Ultimately, it’s up to you, but baking recipes are typically developed and tested with unsalted butter, especially if you see salt separately listed in the ingredients (as in this recipe).
• Sugar: These cookies contain relatively less sugar than other cookies. Again, this is why the thumbprint cookie is a perfect not-too-sweet treat.
• Egg: The egg helps bind the ingredients in the dough while enriching its buttery flavor.
• Canola oil: Where butter provides structure, texture and flavor, just a bit of oil adds moisture. Don’t skip the oil or butter in this recipe; both serve a different purpose and aren’t interchangeable.
• Vanilla extract: If you’re not sure which type of vanilla extract to buy at the store, go with whatever fits your budget. Just avoid any imitation vanillas.
• Butter flavoring: This flavoring ingredient enhances the aroma and taste of butter in your recipes. If you’d prefer to leave it out, you can substitute it with a wee more vanilla extract. Or use almond extract to complement the cookie’s butter and jam.
• Dry dough ingredients: All-purpose flour is the base of thumbprint cookie dough, while cornstarch and baking powder lighten and fluff up the cookies. A bit of salt, as usual, ties all the flavors together.
• Apricot or other fruit preserves: The traditional thumbprint cookie with preserves features raspberry, but stone fruits like apricot, plum and cherry are also quite common (and equally sweet-tart). In this recipe, we call for preserves, which contain chunks of fruit. You can use jam or jelly if you like, though the fruity filling will not have the same texture.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the dough

Preheat the oven to 350°. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, oil, vanilla and butter flavoring. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture.

Editor’s Tip: Despite going to culinary school, it took me years to learn how to cream butter and sugar correctly. It’s all about having patience for letting the process take as long as it needs to, sometimes up to seven minutes. Be prepared to wait!

Step 2: Shape and bake the cookies

Shape the dough evenly into 1-inch balls. Arrange the dough balls 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Press a deep indentation into the center of each ball with the end of a wooden spoon handle (or use your thumb if you like a little more hands-on approach). Bake until the cookie edges are light brown, 8 to 10 minutes per batch.

Editor’s Tip: If your dough balls feel soft and near-melty while rolling them, pop them in the fridge to firm them up before baking. Ten minutes to an hour is sufficient, depending on how warm your kitchen is on baking day.

Step 3: Cool and fill the cookies

Remove the baked cookies from the baking sheets and place them on wire racks to cool. Evenly fill the cookie indentations with preserves.

Editor’s Tip: If you like, you can fill the indentations with preserves before you bake them. This will give you a fruit filling that’s a bit more set and jelled, which may or may not be your preference (it is mine!).

Recipe Variations

• Jazz up your thumbprint cookies: If you want your cookies to rock a bit more sweetness and crunch, add everything from chocolate and cream to spices and nuts to your recipe. Our collection of thumbprint cookie recipes has all sorts of ideas to get you started.
• Make your fruit preserves: Making jams, jellies, and preserves lets you customize which fruits to use, how sweet you want them, and what type of spices and flavors you want in them.
• Add a touch of cinnamon: Thumbprint cookies don’t really need extra special spices, but cinnamon is almost always a welcome friend in baked goods. There are several types of cinnamon to choose from. Avoid adding too much, or you’ll lose the delicate butter-fruit flavors.

How to Store Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies are easy to store. Once they’ve cooled fully, you can wrap them or store them in a cookie container. Or, if you’re not ready to bake right away, you can freeze cookie dough to bake at your convenience later. Either way, there are a few cookie storage mistakes to avoid.

How long do thumbprint cookies last?

Thumbprint cookies will keep at room temperature for up to three days, in the fridge for up to three weeks, or in the freezer for up to six months.

Can you freeze thumbprint cookies?

Yes, you can freeze thumbprint cookies. Once you learn how to freeze cookies, you’ll find it easy to keep them on hand year-round.

Thumbprint Cookies Tips

Why did my thumbprint cookies crack?

If you use too much flour, not enough liquid, or expired baking powder, your cookies might crack. Stick to the recipe and measure your ingredients properly while you prep the dough.

How do you keep thumbprint cookies from spreading?

There are several things to do to prevent spreading in your cookies. The biggest takeaway is to stick to the recipe and not use substitutions.

Why did my thumbprint cookies lose their shape?

If your thumbprint cookies lose their “thumbprint” indentations while filling or baking, your dough might have been too soft to work with. Next time, chill your rolled dough balls in the fridge for up to one hour. Chilling your dough gives it time to firm up a bit so it retains its shape in the oven.