Classic Jam Thumbprint Cookies (Buttery Holiday Cookies with Raspberry and Apricot Jam)

Why you’ll love it

• Tender and buttery: a melt-in-your-mouth cookie that holds a neat little well of jam.
• Festive and colorful: use two or three different jams for a beautiful holiday cookie tray.
• Simple pantry ingredients: butter, sugar, egg yolks, flour, vanilla and your favorite jam.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the cookie dough

• 1 cup (2 sticks / 226 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
• 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp fine salt

For the filling

• 1/2 cup (160 g) seedless raspberry jam, apricot preserves, strawberry jam or a mix

For the vanilla drizzle (optional)

• 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tsp (10 to 15 ml) milk
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

Step-by-step method

1. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl with a hand mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the softened butter and sugar on medium speed 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

2. Add the yolks and flavorings. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then the vanilla and almond extract, if using, scraping down the bowl.

3. Add the flour. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in 2 additions and mix just until a soft dough forms and no dry flour remains.

4. Shape the cookies. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls, about 1 tablespoon or 15 g each, roll them smooth between your palms and place them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the sheets.

5. Make the wells and chill. Press your thumb, or the back of a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, into the center of each ball to make a well about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) deep. If the edges crack, gently pinch them back together. Refrigerate the sheets 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).

6. Bake partway. Bake one sheet at a time for 8 minutes, until the cookies look set but are still pale. Remove the sheet and gently press the wells again with the measuring spoon, since they puff up as they bake.

7. Fill and finish baking. Stir the jam to loosen it, then spoon about 1/2 teaspoon into each well, filling it just to the top. Return the cookies to the oven and bake 6 to 8 minutes more, until the bottoms and edges are very lightly golden and the jam is bubbling slightly.

8. Cool and drizzle. Let the cookies cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes. For the drizzle, whisk the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth and pourable, then drizzle it over the cooled cookies with a spoon and let it set 15 minutes.

How to know it is done

The thumbprint cookies are ready when the tops are set and matte but still pale, the bottoms and the very edges are a light golden color, and the jam in the center is glossy and just starting to bubble. They will be soft and fragile when hot and firm up as they cool. If the cookies brown on top, they are over-baked and will be dry, so check them at the shorter time.

Tips for the best result

• Use softened, not melted, butter so the cookies keep their round shape.
• Chill the shaped cookies before baking so they do not spread and the wells stay neat.
• Re-press the wells halfway through baking so there is room for the jam.
• Use a thick jam or preserves; thin jelly runs over the sides.
• Do not overfill the wells; the jam bubbles up as it heats.

Variations and substitutions

• Nut-crusted thumbprints: roll each ball in a lightly beaten egg white and then in 1 cup (115 g) finely chopped pecans or walnuts before making the wells.
• Cranberry thumbprints: fill the wells with thick homemade or canned whole-berry cranberry sauce for a Thanksgiving twist.
• Chocolate thumbprints: skip the jam and fill the baked, cooled wells with chocolate ganache or a chocolate candy kiss pressed in while the cookies are warm.
• Lemon curd: bake the cookies completely without filling and spoon lemon curd into the cooled wells just before serving.
• Nut-free: leave out the almond extract and use an extra 1/2 tsp vanilla.
• Gluten-free: use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum; chill the dough 30 minutes before shaping.

Make ahead

You can make the dough up to 3 days ahead. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate it, then let it soften at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before shaping. You can also shape the balls, press the wells and freeze them on the baking sheet until firm, then store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months; bake them straight from the freezer, adding 2 minutes to the first bake, and fill them with jam as directed.

Storage and reheating

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, in a single layer or with parchment between the layers so the jam does not stick. They do not need reheating. To freeze, place the baked, cooled cookies without the drizzle in a rigid container with parchment between the layers and freeze for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes and drizzle before serving.