Thumbprint Cookies (2024)

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Buttery and tender-crisp, these Thumbprint Cookies shine like gems on your Christmas cookie plate. Fill them with any jam you love and watch them disappear.

Thumbprint Cookies (1)

If you’re looking for ways to engage the younger bakers in your life, Thumbprint Cookies are a great place to start.

The basic sugar cookie dough is just 6 ingredients, squishing dough balls with a thumb is required, and the jam filling makes the cookies look so festive and inviting.

I love raspberry jam (seedless if possible), orange marmalade (especially if you made it yourself), and apricot jelly, and I love to mix and match for the most colorful cookies possible.

Table of Contents

  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Step-by-step instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Frequently Asked Questions
  6. Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

Recipe ingredients

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At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Butter: Cold butter usually softens up in about 30 minutes when left out at room temperature (much longer if frozen). To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power (that’s ten percent!) for 1 minute. Afterward, gently press on the butter with your finger. If still too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
  • Jam or preserves: Any jam, jelly, or preserves will work in Thumbprint cookies (just be sure to not overload your thumbprint). Strawberry, raspberry, apricot, and orange marmalade are all delicious.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment at medium speed, or with an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla until smooth.
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  1. Gradually add flour and baking powder until combined. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.
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  1. Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each cookie.
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  1. Bake until light golden brown around the edges, about 11 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheets after 6 minutes. Remove from oven.
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  1. Immediately transfer to wire cooling racks.Spoon ¼ teaspoon jam into the indentation on each baked cookie.
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Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe will make about 42 cookies depending on exactly what size you roll your balls of dough.
  • Storage: Store Thumbprint cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
  • Make ahead: The dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. Just portion it straight from the refrigerator.
  • Freezer: For best results, freeze the cookie dough unbaked and unfilled. After chilling the dough (which makes it easier to handle), roll the cookies into balls and make the thumbprints as directed in the recipe. Arrange the cookies on a tray that will fit horizontally in your freezer. The cookies can be close, but not touching (they will freeze together if touching). Freeze the cookies until solid, (6-8 hours) then transfer them from the tray to a zipper-top plastic bag. Press the extra air out of the bag as you seal it. Label and date the bag, adding the baking temperature and time for future efficiency. Freeze for up to 1 month.
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Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if my dough is sticky?

Chilled dough is less likely to be sticky, so be sure your dough has chilled at least 30 minutes. If the dough still feels sticky on your thumb, wet your thumb between thumbprints.

Why did my Thumbprint cookies spread?

Thumbprint cookies spread when the dough (or more specifically the butter in dough) is too warm. Avoid this by chilling the dough firmly before using, working quickly to avoid handling the dough, and baking the cookies promptly.

What is another name for Thumbprint cookies?

Thumbprint cookies are also known as bird’s nest cookies, butter balls, Polish tea caves, or “hallongrotta” (Swedish for “raspberry cave.”).

What nationality are Thumbprint cookies?

Thumbprint cookies are Swedish in origin and are called “raspberry caves.”

Baking Day

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More festive holiday sweets

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Thumbprint Cookies (14)

Thumbprint Cookies

Buttery and tender-crisp, these Thumbprint Cookies shine like gems on your Christmas cookie plate. Fill them with any jam you love and watch them disappear.

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings 42 cookies

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 81

5 from 5 votes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment at medium speed, or with an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla until smooth.

  • Gradually add flour and baking powder until combined. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.

  • Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

  • Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets 2 inches apart. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each cookie (if the dough is sticky, wet your thumb between cookies).

  • Bake until light golden brown around the edges, about 11 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheets after 6 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately transfer to wire cooling racks.Spoon ¼ teaspoon jam into the indentation on each baked cookie.

Notes

  1. Butter: Cold butter usually softens up in about 30 minutes when left out at room temperature (much longer if frozen). To soften butter in the microwave, cut each stick of butter in half, unwrap, and place on a microwave-safe plate. Then cook the butter at 10% power (that’s ten percent!) for 1 minute. Afterward, gently press on the butter with your finger. If still too firm, cook for another 40 seconds at 10% power.
  2. Jam or preserves: Any jam, jelly, or preserves will work in Thumbprint cookies (just be sure to not overload your thumbprint). Strawberry, raspberry, apricot, and orange marmalade are all delicious.
  3. Yield: This recipe will make about 42 cookies depending on exactly what size you roll your balls of dough.
  4. Storage: Store Thumbprint cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
  5. Make ahead: The dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. Just portion it straight from the refrigerator.
  6. Freezer: For best results, freeze the cookie dough unbaked and unfilled. After chilling the dough (which makes it easier to handle), roll the cookies into balls and make the thumbprints as directed in the recipe. Arrange the cookies on a tray that will fit horizontally in your freezer. The cookies can be close, but not touching (they will freeze together if touching). Freeze the cookies until solid, (6-8 hours) then transfer them from the tray to a zipper-top plastic bag. Press the extra air out of the bag as you seal it. Label and date the bag, adding the baking temperature and time for future efficiency. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 81kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 50mgPotassium: 11mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 147IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill

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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

Thumbprint Cookies (2024)

FAQs

What is another name for thumbprint cookies? ›

Hallongrotta (plural: hallongrottor) is the name of a common Swedish cookie. The name means raspberry cave in Swedish. In the United States they are known as thumbprint cookies, as well as by many other names. Similar cookies sold in Australia are known as jam drops.

Why are my thumbprint cookies dry? ›

Overmixing the dough

If you overmix the dough, the cookies will be dry and crumbly. The best way to fix this is to add more liquid to the dough. This can be done by adding milk, water, or even melted butter. You may also need to add more flour to the dough if it is too wet.

How to keep thumbprint cookies from spreading? ›

Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Coating your baking sheet with nonstick spray or butter creates an overly greasy foundation, causing the cookies to spread. I always recommend a silicone baking mat because they grip onto the bottom of your cookie dough, preventing the cookies from spreading too much.

Why did my thumbprint cookies flatten out? ›

Kitchens tend to heat up during any baking extravaganza, meaning the butter you leave on the counter to soften might get too soft. If this happens, the butter will melt faster in the oven and your cookies will flatten before they can set. Thirty minutes is usually enough counter time to soften butter.

How to thicken jam for thumbprint 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.

Why do my thumbprint cookies crack? ›

Why do my Thumbprint Cookies crack? Make sure when you are pressing the back of the teaspoon or your thumb into the center of the cookie dough you don't press too hard. Gently press!

Do thumbprint cookies mail well? ›

Do Thumbprint Cookies ship well? Yes. Firm and sturdy cookies are the best type of cookies to ship, so our Thumbprint Cookies handle the trip well.

Why add cornstarch to cookies? ›

“You can count on [it for] a softer and more tender crumb.” “A bonus benefit is it prevents the cookie from spreading too much while baking,” he adds, noting that a more compact, thick cookie typically yields a chewier outcome. But incorporating cornstarch isn't the only tip to make a cookie more palatable.

What is the shelf life of thumbprint cookies? ›

What is the Shelf Life of Thumbprint Cookies? You can either store your cookies at room temperature or in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days on the counter and for up to 5 in the fridge. Whether you chill them or choose not to, you should keep them in an airtight container.

Can I use salted butter instead of unsalted butter? ›

Adjust Salt

Next, if you're swapping unsalted for salted butter, reduce the amount of salt listed in the recipe to adjust for the salt in the butter. Take ¼ teaspoon of salt away for every stick of butter used*. Do the opposite if you're swapping salted for unsalted butter.

What happens if you add milk to cookie dough? ›

Baking recipes have to be fairly precise for the best results; adding extra liquid in the form of milk to cookie dough could cause the baked cookies to spread, over-brown, and lose their shape. However, it's easy to add a tablespoon or two of milk powder to cookie batters without affecting the final texture.

Should you refrigerate thumbprint cookies? ›

Store your baked thumbprint cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. There's no need to refrigerate. These cookies will keep for at least a week before starting to dry out and get crumbly.

How to get thumbprint cookies not to crack? ›

Prevent Cookies from Spreading/Cracking: We recommend chilling your dough for one hour to prevent the cookies from spreading and cracking. If the cookies crack when you make your indents, just gently fix them.

How do you transport thumbprint cookies? ›

Stuff the tin or container with tissue paper (here's a festive option!), crumbled newspaper, or packing peanuts to keep the cookies snug. Place the tin or container into a shipping box and use more crumbled newspaper or other shipping materials if needed. Then send off!

Do you decorate Christmas cookies before or after baking? ›

Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating. I like to decorate cookies directly on baking sheets so I can stick the entire baking sheet in the refrigerator to help set the icing.

How do you keep thumbprint cookies from cracking? ›

To help avoid cracking when making the indentations in the dough balls:
  1. Make sure the dough balls are very smooth on the outside.
  2. Press into the dough very gently/slowly.
  3. Small cracks can be smoothed over with your fingertips.
Dec 12, 2022

What must be done first when baking cookies? ›

Instead the recipe calls for the butter and sugar to be creamed first along with the salt, baking soda, baking powder and "seasonings" (vanilla and nutmeg). The egg is added next and the flour last.

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