For us at Delish, the holiday season isn’t truly complete without jammy thumbprint cookies. These
Christmas cookies are not only the cutest homemade food gift for family and friends, but are the perfect sweet end to your holiday celebration. You can even turn these sweet treats into a holiday activity for the whole fam to partake in: have everyone grab their fave jam, and get to baking! Keep reading for all of our top tips on how to perfect these festive cookies:
How to make perfect thumbprint cookies:
—How do I keep my thumbprints from cracking? This dough is firm, almost like a shortbread, so to make sure it doesn’t crack, roll it into balls until smooth and firm, and then gently press your thumb in the center to make sure it doesn’t crack. The key word here is: gently (very, very gently).
— How do I stop my thumbprints from spreading? To avoid any spreading, make sure you’re accurately measuring your ingredients. Too much butter—or not enough flour—will cause your cookies to spread too much in the oven, messing up their adorable, dainty shape.
— What should I fill them with? You can use any jam your heart desires! Our favorites are raspberry (always a crowd-pleaser) and apricot, but strawberry jam, blackberry jam, blueberry jam, and orange marmalade all work. If you want to go slightly more savory, even cranberry sauce or tomato jam will work.
Make them ahead of time:
You can make the dough ahead of time, and refrigerate it before or after forming your thumbprints. Just make sure you cover it tightly so the dough doesn’t dry out—dry dough leads to cracking.
Storage:
These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to one month. Thaw out at room temperature when ready to enjoy.
If you want to freeze the dough, go ahead and scoop out the dough and make the thumb imprint in it beforehand. Wrap them up tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to bake, fill the centers with your preferred jam and bake from frozen. The cookies will likely need a few extra minutes when baking from frozen.
Tried making this amazing holiday confection? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
For us at Delish, the holiday season isn’t truly complete without jammy thumbprint cookies. These
Christmas cookies are not only the cutest homemade food gift for family and friends, but are the perfect sweet end to your holiday celebration. You can even turn these sweet treats into a holiday activity for the whole fam to partake in: have everyone grab their fave jam, and get to baking! Keep reading for all of our top tips on how to perfect these festive cookies:
How to make perfect thumbprint cookies:
—How do I keep my thumbprints from cracking? This dough is firm, almost like a shortbread, so to make sure it doesn’t crack, roll it into balls until smooth and firm, and then gently press your thumb in the center to make sure it doesn’t crack. The key word here is: gently (very, very gently).
— How do I stop my thumbprints from spreading? To avoid any spreading, make sure you’re accurately measuring your ingredients. Too much butter—or not enough flour—will cause your cookies to spread too much in the oven, messing up their adorable, dainty shape.
— What should I fill them with? You can use any jam your heart desires! Our favorites are raspberry (always a crowd-pleaser) and apricot, but strawberry jam, blackberry jam, blueberry jam, and orange marmalade all work. If you want to go slightly more savory, even cranberry sauce or tomato jam will work.
Make them ahead of time:
You can make the dough ahead of time, and refrigerate it before or after forming your thumbprints. Just make sure you cover it tightly so the dough doesn’t dry out—dry dough leads to cracking.
Storage:
These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to one month. Thaw out at room temperature when ready to enjoy.
If you want to freeze the dough, go ahead and scoop out the dough and make the thumb imprint in it beforehand. Wrap them up tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to bake, fill the centers with your preferred jam and bake from frozen. The cookies will likely need a few extra minutes when baking from frozen.
Tried making this amazing holiday confection? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
- Yields:
-
35
serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 5 mins
- Total Time:
- 40 mins
- Cal/Serv:
- 80
Directions
-
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 350º and line two baking sheets with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Step 2In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla, then add dry ingredients in two batches until incorporated.
- Step 3Using a small cookie scoop, scoop 1” balls onto prepared baking sheets. Press a thumbprint into center of each ball, 1/2” deep. Fill with a small spoonful of jam.
- Step 4Bake until edges of cookies are golden, 13 to 14 minutes. Cool on baking sheets before serving.
- Step 1
