Description
These Best Christmas Thumbprint Cookies are a delightful holiday treat featuring a buttery, soft cookie base crowned with a sweet, fruity jam center. Perfect for spreading holiday joy, these cookies are easy to make, bake to a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and can be customized with your favorite jam flavors to suit any festive occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup salted butter (softened)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free alternative)
Filling
- 1 cup jam (any favorite variety)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C) to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Mix Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer, beat together softened butter, granulated sugar, and baking powder until light and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes. This step ensures a delicate and airy cookie texture.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the large egg and pure vanilla extract to the butter mixture, mixing until fully blended and the batter is smooth and homogeneous.
- Incorporate Flour: Gradually add all-purpose flour on low speed, mixing just until combined to avoid overworking the dough which would toughen the cookies.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm it up, making it easier to handle and enhancing flavor.
- Form Dough Balls: Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a baking sheet, ensuring at least 1 inch spacing between each ball to allow for slight spreading.
- Create Indentations: Use your thumb or a rounded tool to press a small well into the center of every dough ball; this will hold the jam filling.
- Fill with Jam: Spoon approximately 1/2 teaspoon of your favorite jam into each indentation carefully, avoiding overfilling that could cause spills during baking.
- Bake: Place the cookie sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly golden, indicating they are perfectly baked.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes to set, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- You can easily swap granulated sugar for coconut sugar for a different flavor profile and a less refined option.
- Choosing a gluten-free flour blend lets you accommodate gluten sensitivities without losing texture.
- Use your favorite jams such as raspberry, strawberry, apricot, or even marmalade for unique twists.
- Refrigeration of the dough is vital to prevent spreading and to develop the flavor.
- If you prefer a crisper cookie, bake a few minutes longer but watch carefully to avoid overbaking.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week or freeze for longer storage.
