Strawberry Jam Cookies (2024)

Why this Recipe Works

These strawberry jam cookies are made with a whipped shortbread base that is crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. The high butter content mixed with powdered sugar, and cornstarch gives these strawberry jam shortbread cookies a smooth, classic shortbread taste and feel.

They are buttery, tender, with a hint of almond and have the absolute best texture. I love that the base requires no chill time and they hold their shape perfectly. These strawberry shortbread cookies are easy to decorate with a simple icing and look beautiful.

You may have seen similar strawberry jam shortbread cookies at the store from Knott's, Pepperidge Farms, and Paterson’s, but I guarantee these thumbprint cookies taste 100 times better! These strawberry jam filled cookies are perfect for Christmas time, the holidays, potlucks, or just a regular day.

Ingredient Notes

• Butter. Butter adds tenderness and the best flavor and is an essential part of a shortbread cookie.
• Powdered Sugar. Powdered sugar over granulated sugar is used in these shortbread cookies for a tender texture. Powdered sugar is also used in the icing to adds a little more sweetness to these cookies.
• Vanilla. Vanilla extract is added to the dough and the glaze giving it a delicious, bakery flavor.
• Almond Extract. Almond extract adds great flavor that pairs beautifully with the strawberry jam.
• Salt. A little salt helps enhance the flavors.
• Cornstarch. Cornstarch helps keep the interior of these shortbread cookies soft and gives them that melt-in-your-mouth feeling.
• Flour. All-purpose flour is best, this gives the cookie dough body.
• Granulated Sugar. white, granulated sugar does not go in the cookie dough, the cookie dough is rolled in the granulated sugar giving it a crisp exterior.
• Strawberry Jam. You can use strawberry jam or preserves. I prefer a seedless jam or preserves in this recipe. This recipe works best if the jam is thick—otherwise it could melt and run all over in the oven. see our expert tips for how to thicken jam.
• Water. A little water thins out the icing making it easy to drizzle over the cooled cookies.

How to Make this Recipe

1. Cream together. Cream together butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and almond extract for 4 minutes. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip these two tougher until they lighten in color and resemble thickly whipped cream. I set a timer so I’m not tempted to stop whipping it early. Whipping it for so long gives these strawberry jam cookies their light, tender texture. Picture 1a shows after butter and sugar have been creamed for 1 minutes, 1b shows mixture creamed for 4 minutes.

2. Add dry ingredients. Add salt, cornstarch, and half the flour. Mix on low until smooth. Add the remaining flour and mix until just barely incorporated. You should have a light, soft dough.

3. Scoop and Roll. Scoop about a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Roll in granulated sugar before placing on greased and lined baking sheet.

4. Create indentation. Use your thumb or the back of a measuring spoon to create an indentation/well in the cookie dough. Make sure the indentation is large enough to hold the strawberry jam.

5. Add jam. Fill each well with about ½ teaspoon of strawberry jam.

6. Bake. Space filled cookies at least 1 ½ inches apart on baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes. cool completely before icing the cookies.

7. Icing the cookies. Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla and water in a bowl. Drizzle lines of icing over the cooled cookies.

Strawberry Jam Heart Cookies

Make these thumbprint cookies heart shaped! These strawberry jam cookies hold their shape well and are easy to turn into heart-shaped cookies. It’s the perfect way to add a fun detail or make them festive for Valentine’s Day!

1. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball, then roll in granulated sugar. Use your pinky to create a small indentation at an angle.

2. Use your pinky to create another angled indentation going the opposite way, creating a heart shape.

3. Use the edge of your finger to further define the edges of the heart.

4. Use your finger create deep well in that follows the heart shape. Fill the well with a scant ½ teaspoon of strawberry jam, you do not want to over fill the cookies with jam. Coax the jam using a spoon or your finger into the crevices of the heart-shaped indentation. Bake according to normal instructions.

Shortbread Cookies vs. Butter Cookies vs. Sugar Cookies

What’s the difference between a butter cookie and a shortbread cookie? What’s the difference a shortbread cookie and a sugar cookie?

It can be confusing, these cookies may look similar, have similar ingredients, and flavors. The differences, while, subtle, do make these cookies distinct from each other.

Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread is typically not overly sweet. It is crisp, and has a melt-in-your mouth texture. Shortbread’s main ingredients are butter, sugar, flour. They do not contain eggs or leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda.

Butter Cookies

Butter cookies are similar to shortbread, still crisp with the same buttery, melt-in-your-mouth consistency. However, butter cookies usually have more sugar and contain eggs. They typically do not contain leavening agents.

Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are the sweetest of the three options and will range in texture from crisp, to chewy, to super soft. Sugar cookies usually contain eggs and leavening agents.

Thumbprint Cookies Origins

These strawberry jam shortbread cookies also called strawberry jam thumbprint cookies. The thumbprint refers to the indentation or well in the shortbread that is filled with jam. The indentation is traditionally formed by pressing your thumb into the center of the cookie.

I often think of these cookies as a classic Christmas cookie here in the United States, however, they actually originated from Sweden. There they are known as Hallongrotta which translates to “raspberry cave.” Thumbprint cookies are traditionally filled with raspberry jam, so we are departing from tradition here with our strawberry jam filling.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Expert Tips

• Use thick jam. These thumbprint cookies call for strawberry jam or preserves in the center of the cookies. If your jam is on the runnier side you will want to thicken it before inserting it into the center of the cookie dough. Runny jam will likely melt and run all over your strawberry shortbread cookies. To thicken your runny jam, add to a saucepan over medium heat and whisk in 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Cook the jam until it reduces and starts to thicken up. cool completely before adding to the cookie dough centers.
• Measure the flour correctly. Too much flour will make these strawberry jam shortbread cookies dry and lose their tender mouth feel. I like to weigh my flour for accuracy. If you are measuring it in a measuring cup, stir the flour up, spoon it into the cup, and level of the top. See our guide on how to measure flour if you need more guidance.
• Don’t over mix the dough. If you overwork the dough, the dough will start to develop gluten, creating a tough strawberry shortbread cookie, instead of a light and tender one. Once the flour has been added, mix just enough to incorporate the flour and then stop.
• Swap the filling. We’re using strawberry jam in these cookies but you could easily swap it for whatever you like—raspberry jam (or really any flavor), Nutella, biscoff cookie butter, caramel, lemon curd, the options are endless.
• Don’t let it sit on a hot pan. Once you’ve rolled your dough in sugar and filled it with jam it should go into the oven immediately. Do not let them sit on a hot pan and wait to go in the oven. The butter in the dough will start to melt you’re your strawberry shortbread cookies will spread and lose their light texture.

How to Store this Recipe

Do cookies with jam need to be refrigerated?

No. These strawberry jam cookies contain such a small amount of jam that it is not necessary to refrigerate them. They are fine to set at room temperature for several days. They can sit uncovered for 2 days, after that store them in an airtight container for up to 3 additional days.

Can jam filled cookies be frozen?

Yes! These strawberry shortbread cookies freeze beautifully. After you have iced them, let the icing set up. Then, transfer them to an airtight container or a gallon Ziploc bag. If storing them in a plastic bag, try to remove as much as possible to prevent freezer burn. Let thaw and come to room temperature before eating. Use within 2 months of making.

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