Thumbprint Cookies

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Next up on the dessert table for Sky’s 3rd birthday party is my Thumbprint Cookies! Remember back when I said that my Italian Ricotta Cookies were my absolute favorite? Okay, well I didn’t entirely lie about that, because they were my first cookie love, but ever since I perfected the recipe for my Thumbprint Cookies, I’ve become so confused about my relationship with my Ricotta Cookies. Now, I simply prefer to believe that I can love two cookies just the same. That being said, you HAVE to try this recipe! Please do not get discouraged if you are not an avid baker and are perhaps foreign to a rolling pin. I like to get fancy with my thumbprints, but remember that I am “unapologetically excessive” (read my bio). You DO NOT have to be like me though and your cookies will absolutely still turn out amazing!!!! I promise (please don’t send me emails if they don’t).

The traditional thumbprint cookie is made by rolling your cookie dough into a ball, pressing your thumb or a spoon down into it to form an indention and then filling it with jam or preserves. You can do that, right? Of course you can! Over the years, these cookies have taken on a different form with the invention of thumbprint cookie stamps and a little imagination. I love kitchen gadgets, so you’re going to be seeing the “excessive” version of this cookie in my photos and video below.

So let’s get to it. For this recipe you are going to need unsalted butter, sugar, light brown sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract, flour, cornstarch, Himalayan pink salt, and your choice and flavor of jam or preserves. I prefer to use preserves over jam, because I like the small bits of fruit in these cookies. Jam has the fruit pieces filtered out. I generally use Strawberry, Raspberry and Apricot preserves when I make these cookies.

To make these cookies, begin by preheating your oven to 375°F. Prepare a cookie sheet with an ungreased silpat and set it aside until you are ready for it.

Next, place the butter in a large bowl and beat it with an electric hand mixer until creamy. Add in the sugars and beat until well incorporated; about 30-60 seconds. Add in egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat well. Set this aside while you mix up your dry ingredients.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt. With your mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to your wet ingredients until completely combined. The dough will become dry and crumbly as it is mixed. Once the flour mixture is fully incorporated, turn off the mixer and work the dough with your hands. You want to knead the dough well to make sure all of the ingredients get completely combined. Your final product will be a large ball of cookie dough.

If you’re up for the challenge, or you know your way around a rolling pin and pastry mat, proceed with this portion of the recipe. If not, skip down to the variations.

Turn your dough out onto a floured pastry mat. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and spread it around. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about ¼-inch thick. Cut the dough into cookies with thumbprint cookie stamps and place them on the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Spoon your preserves (or jam) into each indention, filling them to the brim. Note: If the preserves (or jam) are too hard to manage, heat for 5-10 seconds in the microwave before filling the indentions. Repeat until all the dough has been used. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the edges just turn golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling rack before serving.

If you are nervous about the rolling pin and cookie stamps, check out these variations below:

Traditional Thumbprint Cookie: To prepare the traditional “thumbprint” cookie, scoop about 1 Tablespoon of the dough out and roll it well into a ball making sure there are no cracks or seams in the cookie dough (this will keep your cookies from cracking during the baking process). Place each ball on the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to gently make an indention in the center of the cookie ball. Spoon your preserves (or jam) into each indention, filling them to the brim. Note: If the preserves are too hard to manage, heat for 5-10 minutes in the microwave before filling the indentions. Repeat until all the dough has been used. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the edges just turn golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling rack before serving.

Sandwich Cookies: To prepare these cookies to replicate the appearance of a Linzer Cookie (which originates from Austria and is essentially a buttery shortbread sandwich cookie made with the addition of almond flour and cinnamon), turn the dough out onto a floured pastry mat. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and spread it around. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about ¼-inch thick. Cut the dough into cookies with Linzer Cookie cutters (if you do not have Linzer Cookie cutters, you can also use a biscuit cutter). You will need a bottom cookie and a top cookie for each cookie sandwich. Leave each bottom cookie as a solid shape. Spoon preserves over the surface of the cookie, making sure to leave enough room around the edge to prevent the preserves from melting over the sides. Note: If the preserves are too hard to manage, heat for 5-10 minutes in the microwave before spreading on the cookie. On the top cookie, use a miniature cookie cutter/vegetable cutter to cut out your desired shape from the center of the cookie. Repeat until all the dough has been used. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the edges just turn golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling rack. Sprinkle the top cookies with powdered sugar before assembling. To assemble, simply place a top cookie onto a bottom cookie and press gently to seal the cookie with the preserves.

These cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday cookie lineup and you can get so creative with them by just varying their shapes and using different miniature cookie/vegetable cutters. Linzer cookie cutters usually come in a set that includes the scalloped edge cutter as well as the miniature cutter, but don’t limit yourself to these. For valentines day, you can use two different sizes of heart-shaped cookie cutters to achieve the same result. As you will see in the video, I used a miniature crown cutter because Sky’s birthday party theme is princesses. If you have children, make sure to include them in making these cookies. They can be so much fun to make!