Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies – Barefeet within the Kitchen

Gentle, buttery, almond flavored shortbread thumbprint cookies have been probably the most requested cookie I make for nearly so long as I can bear in mind. My good friend Augusta gave me this recipe years in the past and it grew to become a perpetually favourite at first chew.

Thumbprint Cookies with Jam

There’s one thing so endearing and lovely about jam thumbprint cookies. Fruity jam provides the proper quantity of sweetness to the flaky shortbread cookie. The simple glaze on prime of those thumbprint cookies provides an attractive contact.

These cookies are nice as a snack, tucked into lunches, or when served as dessert. I particularly take pleasure in them with cafe con leche, chai, or a London Fog on a cold afternoon.

Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

With simply the correct amount of sweetness, crammed with jam, after which calmly drizzled with icing, these cookies are a success with everybody who tries them. Don’t be fooled by their unassuming look. They’ll shock you by simply melting in your mouth.

Almond extract is what offers these cookies only a trace of almond taste. It provides a pleasant layer of nuttiness that enhances the buttery taste of the shortbread cookie and the fruitiness of the jam.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

I typically attain for a jar of my household’s favourite homemade peach jam to make use of in these cookies. You should use no matter taste of candy preserves you want. I’ve made these cookies with a number of kinds of jam and the cookies end up scrumptious each time.

I usually simply use whichever flavors of jam I occur to have readily available on the time. For this final batch, I used apricot jam and a combined berry jam. You actually can’t go fallacious with the jam alternative. If you happen to take pleasure in consuming the jam, you’ll possible find it irresistible within the cookies.

How you can Make Thumbprint Cookies

Chilling the dough for a strong hour within the fridge is a crucial step on this recipe. So even if you happen to’re in a rush to bake these cookies, don’t skip that step.

Chilling the dough helps preserve the butter on this recipe strong. And the chilly butter helps the cookies keep their construction within the oven.

In terms of filling thumbprints with jam, much less is extra. 1 / 4 teaspoon or so ought to do it. An excessive amount of and also you threat disrupting the construction of the cookie and the jam to cookie ratios. (Sure, jam to cookie ratios are a factor!)

The very last thing to recollect right here is to be further cautious to not overbake these cookies! You need to take these cookies out of the oven earlier than they’re even barely brown.

Overbaking will end in a a lot tougher cookie with out that crumby delicate shortbread texture. If you happen to love thumbprint cookies like we do, you’ll need to strive Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies and Marmalade Thumbprint Cookies too.

Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Mix the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with an electrical mixer till fluffy. Add the flour and almond extract. Beat once more to mix. Chill the dough for 1 hour within the fridge.

When able to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll the dough into 1″ balls or use a 1″ scoop to position them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Press down on the highest of every cookie and use your thumb to create a small indent. After all of the indents are made, fill the indents with about ½ teaspoon of jam.

Bake for roughly 10 minutes. Take away from the oven earlier than the cookies are browned. Let cool on the trays for 1-2 minutes after which take away to a wire cooling rack. 

To make the glaze, add the almond extract to the powdered sugar after which slowly add the milk. Stir consistently and cease including milk if you attain the consistency of icing. It ought to drizzle off the tip of a spoon in a skinny white stream.

When the cookies are fully cooled, drizzle the icing over the tops. Enable them to sit down till hardened after which retailer in an hermetic container.

Shortbread Cookie Recipes

Shortbread cookies don’t get as a lot love as they deserve, for my part. Scrumptious, easy, and not-too-sweet, they attraction to the palettes of youngsters and adults alike.

If you happen to’re searching for extra nice shortbread cookies, I like to recommend Sugared Shortbread Cookies for positive. They’re a easy cookie sprinkled with sugar crystals which you can bake and serve all 12 months spherical.

If the proper slice of cinnamon toast met Pecan Sandies, these Cinnamon Pecan Shortbread Bars can be the end result. It is a tender shortbread, crammed with pecans, after which generously topped with cinnamon sugar.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread is a flaky shortbread that’s barely crisp on the surface. These shortbread bites soften in your mouth with chocolate and only a trace of espresso taste.

Buttery and simply barely sweetened, Brown Sugar Whole Wheat Shortbread is a scrumptious shock. The addition of complete wheat modifications the feel and provides a brand new dimension to the flavour as nicely.

For a seasonal shortbread deal with, Chocolate Dipped Candy Cane Shortbread Cookies are pleasant. They appear spectacular and festive however take hardly any time within the kitchen making them good to whip up throughout the busy vacation season.

initially revealed 8/12/11 – recipe notes and photographs up to date 12/13/23