Jam Thumbprints (12 Cookies of Christmas S3.E9)
These Jam Thumbprint Cookies are soft, buttery, lightly crisp on the outside, and filled with your favorite jam or preserves. This classic cookie recipe from Sharon Whitmore is beautifully simple and endlessly customizable. Whether you choose raspberry, apricot, strawberry, or blackberry, these little cookies bake into picture-perfect treats that are perfect for gifting, cookie trays, or holiday baking.
In this video, I’ll show you exactly how to make the dough, create the perfect thumbprint center, and fill them so they stay neat and glossy after baking.
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
(Sharon Whitmore)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup (70 g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup (280 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup sugar for rolling (optional)
- ⅓ cup (105 g) jam or preserves flavor of your choice
Directions
- Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until creamy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add sugars, and beat, gradually increasing mixer speed to medium-high until ingredients are well-combined.
- Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt.
- With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients until completely combined. This dough will seem very dry and crumbly, so be sure to pause occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. If it starts to strain your mixer you can use your hands to finish working the dough together.
- Scoop cookie dough into 1 Tablespoon-sized balls and roll into tight balls.
- Roll in granulated sugar and place on a parchment covered cookie sheet. Use your thumb or the rounded back of a teaspoon to gently press an indent in the center of the cookie dough. Repeat until all of the dough has been used.
- Transfer cookie balls to freezer and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and place your jam in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat briefly 5-10 or until jam is not hot but is no longer firm and is easy to stir.
- Spoon jam into each thumbprint, filling each indent to the brim.
- Place cookies at least 2″ apart on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and bake for 11 minutes or until edges are just beginning to turn golden brown.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet.
