I love anything with jam. Toast with jam, cheese with jam, and especially cookies with jam. These jam thumbprint cookies are at the top of the list when it comes to cookies with jam. They are a holiday classic, but really great any time of the year.
Jam Cookie Base
What I love about these jam cookies is the mixing of flavors. I’ve made many different versions of jam cookies over the years. Some just butter and others that have additions here and there. The recipe I used this year has a decent amount of almond flour in them and makes for a delicious flavor.
This recipe comes from Love and Lemons. They recently posted the recipe on Instagram for these jam thumbprint cookies and I was very intrigued. Love and Lemons are known for their vegetarian cooking and baking, so I was interested to see their take on this classic cookie.
The almond flour is their biggest modification based on recipes I’ve used in the past. The almond flour adds a delicate flavor and a grainer texture to the cookie. They are still smooth like butter cookies but have a little bit of a bite to them. They also use a bit of almond extract, which has recently become my new favorite thing to add to cookies. The small addition goes a long way and really adds to the flavor. It is super subtle but makes a big difference in taste.
Jam Flavors
The hardest thing when making these cookies is deciding on the jam. Luckily, the recipe makes like a million cookies so you have your chance to use multiple flavors. For this batch, I used fig, peach, and raspberry jam. The peach and raspberry jam definitely spread out better in the oven, but the fig jam offered a rich flavor. I also blended some of the peach and raspberry in a few of the cookies to make a blended flavor.
The flavor of the base of the cookies is pretty standard, so you really can’t go wrong with any jam that you choose. They would probably also taste great with chocolate, Nutella, or any nut butter spread in the middle. You could even mix some peanut butter in with the jam for a pb&j effect.
Freezing and Storage
Besides being so flavorful, these cookies also store well. The jam makes a sort of seal in the oven, making them easy to keep in an airtight container. They also freeze well with the jam already in place. If you don’t want to freeze them with the jam, you can bake the shells of the cookies and freeze them individually. Then you can take a few out of the freezer and add in fresh jam whenever you would like.
See the full recipe below and let me know what jam you choose to fill these cookies with! Happy holidays!
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup (2sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup jam of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and prepare two baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix together the flours and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and extracts until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed to make sure everything is fully combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture at low speed. Make sure everything is fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Use a cookie scoop to make small round balls from the dough and place them on the parchment. Repeat with the remaining dough. Using the back of a spoon or the cookie scoop, make a small indent on the back of the rounded ball of dough. I know they are called thumbprint cookies, but using your thumb to make the indent doesn't always create the best vessel for the jam to sit in. The spoon or cookie scoop will give you an even indent for the jam.
- Place about 1/2 tsp of jam in each cookie. Don't worry if the jam doesn't spread out. It will fill in the gaps in the oven.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack. Store for about a week at room temperature or freeze for up to 3 months.
Did you make this recipe?! Let me know and share it on Instagram. Tag @crispcrumble and use the hashtag #crispandcrumble.
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