Description
Irresistible thumbprint cookies blend buttery dough with sweet jam centers, creating a classic treat. German bakers perfected these delicate cookies that invite warmth and comfort in each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup fruit jam or preserves (e.g., raspberry, strawberry, apricot)
Instructions
- Dough Preparation: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in egg yolks and vanilla extract. Gently incorporate flour and salt, kneading into a smooth, pliable dough.
- Cookie Shaping: Roll dough into walnut-sized spheres. Position on parchment-lined baking sheet with adequate spacing. Using your thumb or a small spoon, create a centered well in each cookie, ensuring a deep enough indent to hold jam.
- Jam Filling: Carefully fill each cookie’s depression with jam, maintaining a precise amount to prevent spillage during baking. Distribute jam evenly across all cookies.
- Baking Process: Position rack in the middle of a preheated oven. Bake at the specified temperature until cookie edges turn a delicate golden brown, indicating optimal doneness and a crisp exterior.
- Cooling and Finishing: Allow cookies to rest momentarily on the baking sheet to set their structure. Transfer to a wire cooling rack, permitting them to cool completely. Once at room temperature, the cookies will develop their full, rich flavor profile and achieve the perfect texture.
Notes
- Butter Consistency Matters: Ensure butter is softened but not melted for the perfect dough texture, allowing smooth blending and optimal cookie structure.
- Jam Selection Strategy: Choose thick, high-quality preserves that won’t run during baking, such as apricot or raspberry, to maintain the cookie’s elegant appearance.
- Thumb Technique Precision: Create uniform wells with gentle, consistent pressure to prevent cookie cracking and ensure even jam distribution.
- Cooling Crucial: Allow cookies to cool completely on the rack to set their structure and develop a delightful crisp-tender texture that makes thumbprint cookies irresistible.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 23
- Calories: 139
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 32 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 37 mg