This Best Christmas Thumbprint Cookies Recipe offers a delightful blend of buttery, soft cookies filled with sweet raspberry or apricot jam. Perfect for holiday celebrations, these festive treats are easy to make with simple ingredients and guaranteed to please your family and friends.
Total Time:35 minutes
Yield:24 servings
Ingredients
Cookies
0.5 tsp baking powder
1 large egg (at room temperature)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar
1 cup salted butter (softened at room temperature)
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
Filling
1 cup jam (raspberry or apricot recommended)
Instructions
Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking when your dough is prepared.
Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together 1 cup of softened salted butter, 1 cup of white sugar, and 0.5 teaspoon of baking powder on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add Egg and Vanilla: Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add 1 large egg, and beat until fully incorporated. Then add 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Incorporate Flour: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add 2.5 cups of all-purpose flour. Mix just until the dough comes together to avoid overworking it and producing tough cookies.
Shape Dough Balls: Roll the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter and place them at least 1 inch apart on a baking sheet to allow room for spreading.
Create Indentations: Immediately press your thumb or a rounded tool into the center of each dough ball to make a small indentation for the jam filling.
Fill With Jam: Spoon about 1 cup of your chosen jam across the indentations, slightly overfilling each to accommodate spreading during baking.
Bake Cookies: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the sheet halfway through baking for even cooking.
Cool Cookies: Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
Use room temperature butter and egg for better mixing and fluffier dough.
You can substitute the jam with your favorite flavors such as strawberry, cherry, or blueberry.
To prevent the cookies from spreading too much, chill the dough briefly before shaping if your kitchen is warm.
Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking to ensure cookies bake evenly.
These cookies store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
