Description
Classic jam thumbprint cookies combine buttery shortbread with sweet raspberry preserves for a delightful treat. German bakers perfected these delicate cookies, offering a perfect balance of rich pastry and fruity filling that you’ll savor with afternoon tea.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (226 g)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup fruit jam or preserves (e.g., raspberry, strawberry, apricot) (118 ml)
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Finely chopped nuts for rolling
Instructions
- Creaming: Whip softened butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light, fluffy, and pale, creating a smooth base for the cookies.
- Enriching: Blend egg yolk and vanilla extract into the butter mixture, ensuring complete and even incorporation of flavors.
- Dry Mixture: Sift flour and salt together in a separate bowl, creating a uniform dry ingredient blend.
- Dough Formation: Delicately fold dry ingredients into the butter mixture, mixing until a tender, cohesive dough develops.
- Chilling: Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes, allowing ingredients to set and flavors to meld.
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shaping: Roll dough into 1-inch balls, optionally coating with finely chopped nuts for added texture and crunch.
- Positioning: Place dough spheres on prepared baking sheets, leaving ample space between each cookie.
- Forming Wells: Create a gentle indentation in the center of each dough ball using a thumb or small spoon.
- Filling: Carefully spoon jam into the center of each cookie, ensuring precise and neat placement.
- Baking: Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until edges turn a delicate golden brown.
- Cooling: Rest cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Finishing: Optionally dust with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar for an elegant presentation.
- Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, maintaining freshness for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Chill the Dough: Refrigeration helps prevent spreading and maintains the cookie’s shape, creating a more compact and refined texture.
- Control Jam Quantity: Use a small spoon or piping bag to add just enough jam, preventing overflow and ensuring a neat, professional appearance.
- Create Uniform Cookies: Use a cookie scoop or weigh dough portions to guarantee consistent size and even baking across the entire batch.
- Experiment with Jam Varieties: Explore different fruit preserves like raspberry, apricot, or mixed berry to add unique flavor profiles and personalize the recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 25
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg