These delicious and beautiful Jam Thumbprint Cookies are such an easy cookie recipe! Buttery cookies with a crimson dollop of jam – sweet, scrumptious and utterly addictive! These classic thumbprint cookies could be in a patisserie window, your friends and family are going to love these colorful cookies!
These thumbprint cookies are easy to make and taste incredible. They are soft, sweet, and jam filled with delicious jam centers. Make a batch for the family or a batch to gift a friend for the holiday.
Looking for more cookie recipes? Why not also try my Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies , Jam Linzer Cookies , Danish Butter Cookies, and my Christmas Tree Ginger Bread Cookies.
Why you’ll love these Shortbread Jam Cookies
- A delicious buttery cookie. The cookies are light, crisp and sweet – perfect to cradle all that lovely jam!
- Packed with jam! These cookies really pop! Every bite is a sweet and tangy mix, divine!
- Easy to make. Only a handful of ingredients needed, these go from pantry to table in around 30 mins!
- Great for sharing. Make a big batch and share in a holiday cookie box with friends and neighbors. Also great for cookie exchange parties.
- Adaptable. You can make these cookies into many flavored variations. Simply choose your favorite jam flavor and substitute with raspberry jam.
Thumbprint Cookie Ingredients
- Butter – Bring your butter to room temperature before starting on the dough.
- Sugar & Light Brown Sugar – I like using a combination of the two for chewy result.
- Vanilla Extract – use pure vanilla extract to achieve best flavor. You can also substitute for almond extract.
- Egg – room temperature is best.
- Flour- use all purpose flour, sifted for best results.
- Salt -to balance the sweetness
- Jam – use any type of jam flavor you prefer.
How to make these Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Make your dough: In a stand mixer, mix butter, sugars and vanilla for 5 mins then add in the egg. Next, add in half your dry ingredients, scrape the sides then add the rest.
- Make your cookies: Form balls of dough, place on a baking sheet and press your thumb/spoon down on the balls. Be sure to press down on each ball right after you form it. Do not wait on all the balls before you form the imprints. Waiting to form all balls will result in the outer crust to get dry and crack.
- Fill with jam: Place jam in a zil-pock or pastry bag, cut the corner and fill the cookies.
- Bake: In an oven at 350F, bake the cookies 15-20 mins.
- Drizzle with some chocolate, serve and enjoy!
Tips to make the Best Classic Thumbprint Jam Cookies.
- Use a preheated oven.
- Whisk jam well before adding into the cookie for easier application.
- Use real butter. Do no substitute with margarine or butter substitutes.
- Use cold butter so the dough holds up and doesn’t spread.
- Be sure all your ingredients are up to room temperature.
- Place your dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, for easy removal and cleanup.
- You can use your thumb or back of a spoon to make indents on the dough.
- The cookies can soak up some of the jam during baking, so feel free to top them up halfway through the cook, if needed.
- Keep an eye on the edges of the cookies, when they turn golden brown they are done.
Frequently Asked Questions
I really recommend adding the jam before baking the cookies. But if you forgot, no biggie. You can still add them afterwards.
Once you have a ball of cookie dough formed, make a thumb impression as soon as possible! Do not shape all the balls first and then push them all at once. When the dough stands still, it hardens and forms a crust that cracks when pressed in the middle. However, if you still see small cracks, you can smooth it with your finger to seal it.
Yes. Let the cookies have cooled for a few hours so the jam sets, then stack the cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers. The cookies will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. To thaw, take out of the freezer and allow to thaw overnight on the counter.
Store cookies covered in an air tight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
If your cookie spreads, it means you need a little more flour or need to chill the dough. try adding a little more flour to the dough.
More Holiday Dessert Recipes
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this Jam Thumbprint Cookies recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it and share it with your friends and family!
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Raspberry Jam Thumbprint Cookie
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ tsp. salt
- ¾ cup Jam I used raspberry jam for this recipe.
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
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In medium mixing bowl whisk together all-purpose flour and salt. Set aside.
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With a help of a stand mixer and paddle attachment on cream butter, both sugars, and vanilla for about 5 minutes.
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Add 1 egg and mix to incorporate lightly. It will start to separate but do not stress about it. It will all come together once we start adding dry ingredients.
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With mixer on low speed add half of your dry ingredients and mix to incorporate. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and the bottom of your bowl. Add rest of the dry ingredients and mix just until it incorporates.
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Scoop enough cookie dough to form 1” ball (about20-25g). Roll the ball and place it on the prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
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Immediately, with the help of your thumb or back of a small round spoon form an indent. Dip the spoon/thumb into some flour so it doesn’t stick to the cookie dough. Repeat for the rest of the balls. Space the balls about 2-3” apart.
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Place your jam into the pastry bag or a small Ziplock bag. Cut a little opening on one of the corners of the bag and fill in cavities of the cookies. When cutting a Ziplock bag corner be sure to discard the little cut piece immediately, so it does not get into your cookies.
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Bake at 350 F 15-20 minutes, or until the edges start to get golden color.
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Once they bake, they soak in a little bit of jam. You can add some more if desired.
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To decorate melt some white chocolate and drizzle over your cooled cookies. Let set.
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Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Use a preheated oven.
- Whisk jam well before adding into the cookie for easier application.
- Use real butter. Do no substitute with margarine or butter substitutes.
- Use cold butter so the dough holds up and doesn’t spread.
- Be sure all your ingredients are up to room temperature.
- Place your dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, for easy removal and cleanup.
- You can use your thumb or back of a spoon to make indents on the dough.
- The cookies can soak up some of the jam during baking, so feel free to top them up halfway through the cook, if needed.
- Keep an eye on the edges of the cookies, when they turn golden brown they are done.
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