These jam thumbprint cookies just might be the perfect bite. The classic recipe takes simple shortbread and fills it with an assortment of jam to make an excellent cookie for Christmas and any time of the year.
Jam Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
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.
This recipe comes from Love and Lemons. Love and Lemons are known for their vegetarian cooking and baking, so I was interested to see their take on this classic cookie.
Unlike typical shortbread, this recipe uses almond flour. 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.
The hardest thing when making these cookies is deciding on the jam. Luckily, the recipe makes like a million cookies, so you can 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.
Looking for more holiday cookies? Try my egg nog cookies or hot chocolate cookies.
Why I Love These Thumbprint Jam Cookies
- Enjoyable To Make - Putting the thumbprint in the cookie makes the baking process very interactive!
- Flavors Galore - There are endless flavors that can be added to these cookies. Any jam will surely be a hit.
- Simple And Straightforward - The recipe is easy to make and doesn't take long in the kitchen. Even the little chefs can help get in on the action.
Ingredients Needed For Thumbprint Jam Cookies
See below for all the details on what you'll need to make the full recipe.
- Almond Flour - Gives the shortbread a delicate flavor.
- Butter - Allows the cookie to melt in your mouth.
- Almond Extract - A little splash of extract goes a long way.
- Sea Salt - Balances out the sweetness in the cookies.
- Jam - Any flavor of jam will do.
How To Make Thumbprint Jam Cookies
- Prepare.
Preheat the oven to 350° and prepare two baking sheets with parchment. Set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flours and salt. Set aside.
- Mix in wet ingredients.
In a medium-sized bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar and extracts.
- Combine the ingreidents.
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.
- Form the cookies.
Use a cookie scoop to make small round balls. Using the back of a thumb, spoon, or cookie scoop, make a small indent on the back of the rounded ball of dough.
- Fill the cookies and bake.
Place about ½ teaspoon of jam in each cookie. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack.
Serving Suggestions
While these cookies are associated with holiday cookies, they are great any time of the year. Swap in the jam for something seasonal. The cookies are great with a cup of coffee or tea.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead: 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.
- To Store: Store the cookies in an airtight container. To keep the jam from sticking to each other when stacking the cookies, place a piece of parchment paper between the cookies.
- To Freeze: 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 want.
FAQs
Fill the cookies with jam about ¾th full. In the oven, the jam will spread out.
No! After they are cooked, the cookies do not need to be refrigerated.
If the cookies are spreading while baking, chances are the butter was too soft when making the dough. Keep the butter at room temperature for the cookies to hold up.
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup (2sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ 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 ½ teaspoon 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.
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