If you’re looking for the best Jam Thumbprint Cookies recipe then look no further. These festive thumbprint cookies are filled with raspberry jam and dusted with icing sugar. Such a fun and delicious cookie to enjoy during the holidays!
Undoubtedly my favourite thing about December is the abundance of delicious cookies. And of course you can never have too many Christmas cookies. Am I right? This holiday season I’ve been busy baking all kinds of cookies that I plan on sharing with my family and friends. I believe that all you need is love and cookies to create long lasting holiday memories.
The one cookie I’m most excited about sharing with you is this classic thumbprint cookie recipe. Jewel-hued raspberry thumbprint cookies are cute as a button. They’re always a popular cookie for your Christmas table or cookie exchanges. They would also be a wonderful addition to a brunch spread, afternoon tea, wedding or baby shower.
Jam cookies are so versatile since you can customize them with any kind of jam or preserves you like. I used red raspberry preserves to add a festive flair for Christmas. For springtime I’ll use a golden-yellow apricot jam for a sunny theme cookie. Whatever filling you choose, these adorable two-bite cookies with jam are soft and tender with a buttery shortbread base. In each bite you get a sweet taste of jam, zing from the lemon zest and slight tang from the cream cheese in the dough.
Ingredients needed to make jam thumbprint cookies
To make these little jammy cookies you only need a handful of simple ingredients.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter. You can soften the butter on the counter for 1 – 2 hours or longer, depending on the temperature of the room.
- Cream Cheese – Use full fat cream cheese for the best flavour and allow the cream cheese to reach room temperature before mixing it in the cookie dough. The cream cheese adds a nice tang to the cookie dough.
- Granulated Sugar – Sugar sweetens the cookies and keeps them soft and moist.
- Lemons – Use some of the zest and juice of a lemon which adds brightness to the cookie dough.
- All Purpose Flour – Use unbleached all purpose flour which works best for this recipe and gives the cake the best crumb.
- Baking Powder – The leavening agent that helps the cookies puff up a little bit and makes them soft and fluffy.
- Raspberry Jam – Use raspberry jam or other preserves of your choice for filling the cookies.
- Icing Sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar it is finely ground sugar. It’s used to dust the baked cookies and add a touch more sweetness.
How to Make Jam Thumbprint Cookies
These cookies are easy to make. The dough is easy to work with and it holds its shape so you don’t have to worry about spreading. Follow these easy step-by-step directions:
- With a mixer beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the egg, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat to a creamy texture.
- Add the flour and baking powder and beat until a thick dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a medium bowl, cover and chill for at last 2 hours.
- Let dough rest for 15 minutes at room temperature then form 1 tablespoon balls and place them 1” apart on parchment lined baking sheets.
- Gently press a thumb or the back of a 1 teaspoon round measuring teaspoon into the centre of each dough ball to flatten the cookie slightly and create a deep well.
- Fill each indent with ½ teaspoon of jam.
- Bake cookies for 11 - 13 minutes until lightly golden then let set for 2 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.
- Once baked, a light dusting of icing sugar is all you need to finish them off.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is another name for thumbprint cookies?
They are named “thumbprint cookies” because of the way the cookies are made. The thumb is pressed into the dough to create an indentation for a filling. In Sweden they call them “hallongrotta” which means “raspberry cave”. In Austria they are called “engelsaugen” which means “angel’s eyes”. In other parts of Europe and America, the cookies are known as “jam drops”. But whatever you call them, they are the same lovely and delicious treat to share with all your family and friends.
Why do my thumbprint cookies crack?
As soon as you press down on the cookie to create the indentation, it’s pretty common to get a bit of crack. I don’t mind a couple of cracks in my cookies because I feel it gives them a nice homemade rustic look. You can easily repair the cracks by smoothing them out with your fingers. Here are some tips on how to minimize cookie cracking:
- Let the dough rest for 15 minutes after chilling time to ensure is soft and pliable.
- Roll cookie dough balls between your warm hands firmly and smoothly and make sure there are no seams or cracks in the ball.
- Place all the formed cookie balls on the prepared baking sheets about 1” apart then make the indentations by pressing gently with your thumb or with the back of a 1 teaspoon round measuring spoon.
Do you bake jam in thumbprint cookies?
Yes, for this recipe you bake the jam right in the indentation of each cookie. Some other recipes for thumbprint cookies have you bake the cookies first then add the jam. I prefer to bake the jam in the cookies so it melts and bakes into the dough and creates a nice jammy centre.
How to Store and/or Freeze Raspberry Jam Cookies
- The jam filling can be moist and sticky so how do you store thumbprint cookies so they don’t stick? To avoid the cookies from sticking, simply arrange them in layers in a storage container with a piece of parchment paper in between each layer. Seal the container and keep the cookies at room temperature for 3 days.
- Do jam thumbprint cookies need to be refrigerated? The cookies should be refrigerated if you need to store them for more than 3 days. Store cookies in a container as directed above, and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Bring cookies to room temperature before serving. To store cookies for a longer time, follow the freezer directions below.
- Do thumbprint jam cookies freeze well? Yes they do! Store cookies in a container as directed above, and pop the container in the freezer for 2 – 3 months. To thaw frozen cookies arrange them on a rack in one layer and let sit at room temperature for 2- 3 hours.
Tips for the best classic jam thumbprint cookies
- If you prefer, use the back of a 1 teaspoon round measuring spoon, instead of your thumb, to make the indentation.
- If the dough cracks when making indentations, smooth it out with your fingers, or it’s perfectly fine to leave the cookies with a few cracks.
- Arrange cookies 1” apart on the baking sheets as they spread very little. This means you can fit more cookies on each sheet.
- Don’t overfill the indentations with jam, ½ teaspoon is sufficient, as it will overflow when it heats up and bakes.
- To guarantee moist cookies, bake the thumbprint cookies just until very lightly browned on the bottom and edges.
- The jam filling in the cookies will be very hot right out of the oven. Let the cookies set and cool for at least 10 minutes before eating them.
- Use a small sieve to get the finest sprinkle of icing sugar to dust the tops. The dusting of icing sugar on top of the jam filling will absorb into the jam and become invisible. This is normal.
Check out these other great Christmas cookies on the blog!
- Gingerbread Cut Out Cookies
- Almond Crescent Cookies
- Almond Joy Chocolate Cookies
- Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread
- Jam Filled Cut Out Cookies
- Vanilla Cookies Dipped in White Chocolate & Pistachios
Recipe
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Classic Jam Thumbprint Cookies are filled with raspberry jam and dusted with icing sugar. They are a must have holiday cookie for your Christmas table or cookie exchanges.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter softened to room temperature
- ½ cup cream cheese softened to room temperature (125g)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- ¾ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup raspberry jam or other preserves
- ½ cup icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two large baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer at medium speed beat butter, cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
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Add egg, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat to a creamy texture.
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Reduce speed to low, gradually add flour and baking powder and beat until a thick dough forms.
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Transfer dough to a medium bowl, cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
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Remove dough from refrigerator and let rest for 15 minutes. Then form dough into 1 tablespoon balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them out at least 1 inch apart. Press your thumb or the back of a 1 teaspoon round measuring spoon into the centre of each ball of dough to flatten the cookie slightly and create a deep well.
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Fill each indentation with ½ teaspoon of jam.
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Bake cookies for 11 - 13 minutes or just until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow cookies to set for 2 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.
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Dust the tops with icing sugar.
Recipe Notes
- Chill dough at least 2 hours before forming cookies.
- Use your thumb or the back of a 1 teaspoon round measuring spoon to make the indentation.
- Don’t overfill the indentations with jam, ½ teaspoon is sufficient, as it tends to overflow when baked.
- The jam filling in the cookies will be very hot right out of the oven. Let the cookies set and cool for at least 10 minutes before eating them.
- Use a small sieve to get the finest sprinkle of icing sugar to dust the tops. The dusting of icing sugar on top of the jam filling will absorb into the jam and become invisible. This is normal.
- Store cookies at room temperature for 3 days, in the refrigerator for 10 days or freeze for 2 to 3 months.
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