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    Easy Thumbprint Cookies

    By Julia | Updated: Jul 29, 2018 | Published: Dec 13, 2013 | 19 Comments

    982 shares
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    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

    Easy Thumbprint Cookies made with chocolate cookie dough and fruit jam. Beautiful and easy-to-make holiday cookie, perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

    Easy thumbprint cookies recipe

     

    Today I am sharing a very easy thumbprint cookies recipe. These simple cookies are made with chocolate cookie dough and are perfect for the upcoming holidays: Christmas and New Year's Eve.  Other easy holiday cookie recipes that I love are amaretto almond shortbread cookies and cranberry noels.

    I love how festive these thumbprint cookies look, especially if you fill them with different types of jam or fruit preserves. For instance, on these photos you can see that I used apricot preserves and strawberry preserves, which created cookies with two distinctly different fillings and colors (orange and red).

    Easy Thumbprint Cookies with cocoa and fruit jam

    The chocolate cookie dough produced a very soft and buttery cookie, which is then filled with jam.

    Easy thumbprint cookies recipe - Christmas cookies

    Baking tips

    • To make sure that the cookies turn out tall and not flatten out during baking, use softened unsalted butter (not melted!) - take it out of the refrigerator an hour prior to preparing the cookies and it should soften to the right consistency (not liquid, and still keeping its brick shape).
    • Then, after you've made the cookie dough, roll each individual cookie into 1 inch ball, press a well into a center of each cookie using your fingers or back of a wooden spoon. Then freeze these raw cookies for about 30 minutes.

    Easy thumbprint cookies recipe - Christmas cookies

    How to bake thumbprint cookies

    Bake these cookies in the preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and after 7 minutes of baking take them out and press well into a center of each cookie again to make it more pronounced. Then continue baking for 5 more minutes.

    Easy thumbprint cookies recipe

    I want to emphasize again that it's very important that you use softened butter (not melted), form cookie dough into cookie balls and keep them in the freezer for 30 minutes right before baking. Otherwise, you will get a flat cookie.

    I love these colorful treats! These thumbprint cookies will look gorgeous on a holiday cookie tray, don't you think?

    easy thumbprint cookies with fruit jam
    5 from 1 vote

    Easy Thumbprint Cookies with Fruit Jam

    Easy Thumbprint Cookies made with chocolate cookie dough and fruit jam. Perfect holiday cookie.  Make beautiful addition to Christmas cookie tray. 
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 25 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 40 cookies
    Calories per serving 112 kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
    • ⅓ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 8 oz unsalted butter , room temperature (let the butter from refrigerator sit on the counter for about an hour or so), not melted but softened
    • 1 ¼ cups sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract pure
    • ½ cup apricot preserves or jam
    • ½ cup strawberry preserves or jam
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    Instructions 

    • In a medium bowl, combine together flour, cocoa powder, and salt and mix.
    • In a separate bowl, using electric mixer, beat softened butter and granulated sugar on high speed until light in color and fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla – continue beating for a couple more minutes. Turn off the electric mixer, add flour-cocoa-salt mixture and then continue beating on low speed until well-combined but without over mixing.
    • Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Press a well into a center of each cookie ball using your fingers or a back of a wooden spoon. Then freeze these raw cookies for about 30 minutes.
    • Bake in the preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and after 7 minutes of baking, take the cookies out and press well into a center of each cookie with the end of a wooden spoon again to make it more pronounced. Then, return the baking sheet to the oven and continue baking for 5-7 more minutes.
    • Let cookies cool completely. Using a small spoon, put jam/preserves filling into each thumbprint cookie.

    Notes

    Recipe is adapted from Martha Stewart

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Easy Thumbprint Cookies with Fruit Jam
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    112
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    4
    g
    6
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    19
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    20
    mg
    7
    %
    Sodium
     
    20
    mg
    1
    %
    Potassium
     
    27
    mg
    1
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    16
    g
    5
    %
    Sugar
     
    8
    g
    9
    %
    Protein
     
    1
    g
    2
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    155
    IU
    3
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    0.4
    mg
    0
    %
    Calcium
     
    6
    mg
    1
    %
    Iron
     
    0.5
    mg
    3
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition Disclaimer:

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Keyword cookies with fruit preserves, cookies with jam, thumbprint cookies
    « Vanilla Sugar Cookies
    Easy Chocolate Cookies with Sprinkles »
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    1. John

      October 18, 2016 at 8:15 pm

      Amazing! I put organic strawberries, blueberries and apricot preserves in mine. Next time, I'd probably leave out the cocoa as I don't think it goes with the jams very well. Also, I will reduce the sugar content by quite a bit and perhaps substitute apple sauce to make them a little more healthy. Like the texture a lot. Can't wait to have one with my mid morning coffee tomorrow!

      Reply
    2. Sarah O.

      January 18, 2014 at 1:06 pm

      I must say, not only have I never thought of freezing the shaped cookie dough, but I have never made chocolate thumbprints! Great post.

      Reply
    3. Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking

      December 14, 2013 at 4:57 pm

      You go Julia! You are on a Christmas Cookie marathon! And I am super jealous! I want to make all of them starting with these thumbprint cookies! I love a well placed jam-filled cookie in a Holiday tray!

      Reply
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    Hi, I'm Julia!

    I am a full-time food blogger living in beautiful Colorado. I focus primarily on savory recipes (protein-based & fiber-rich main dishes, pasta, salads) using fresh & seasonal ingredients. A food blogger since 2012, I help home cooks create well-balanced and visually appealing dinners (many of which are 30-minute ONE-PAN meals). Find out more about me and my cooking philosophy. 

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