CookiesAmericanEasy

Thumbprint Jam Cookies

Name: Thumbprint Jam Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup (2 sticks) (226 g) unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature (about 65°F/18°C); 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, spooned and leveled; 2 yolks (37 g) large egg yolks, at room temperature; 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract; 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch; ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt; ½ cup (160 g) seedless raspberry jam, stirred well to loosen; 2 tbsp (15 g) powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Buttery, tender shortbread-style cookies with a vanilla-scented dough and a glossy pool of raspberry jam in the center. The jam goes in midway through baking so it sets without scorching or spilling over.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 20 min
Wait: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 50 min
Makes: 24 cookies

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Ingredients

24 servings

For the dough
1 cup (2 sticks) (226 g) unsalted butter, softened to cool room temperature (about 65°F/18°C)
1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, spooned and leveled
2 yolks (37 g) large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch
½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt
For filling and finishing
½ cup (160 g) seedless raspberry jam, stirred well to loosen
2 tbsp (15 g) powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Equipment (10)

2 rimmed baking sheets, about 13×18 inches (33×46 cm)
Parchment paper or silicone baking mats
Large mixing bowl
Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
Medium bowl
Rubber spatula
Tablespoon measure or kitchen scale
Teaspoon measure
Wire cooling rack
Fine-mesh sieve (for dusting)

Steps

Before you start

Take the butter and egg yolks out of the fridge about 1 hour ahead so the butter is softened (it should dent easily under a finger but not look greasy) and the yolks are at room temperature.
Measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off, or better, weigh it. Scooping packs in extra flour and makes dry, crumbly dough.
The dough must chill for 30 minutes before shaping, so plan for about 1 hour 50 minutes from start to finish, including cooling.
Choose a jam with a thick, spreadable set. Thin or runny jam will bubble over the edges.

1
Cream butter and sugar
- Place the softened butter and 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar in a large bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once, until the mixture is pale, smooth, and fluffy.
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Ready when: Pale ivory, fluffy, and no visible streaks of butter or lumps of sugar.
Tip: If the butter is too warm and shiny, the cookies will spread. Chill the bowl for 10 minutes before continuing.
2
Mix in yolks and vanilla
- Add the 2 egg yolks and 2 tsp vanilla.
- Beat on medium-low speed for about 1 minute, just until fully blended and smooth.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
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Ready when: The mixture looks uniform and creamy with no yellow streaks.
3
Add dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk the 2 cups (250 g) flour, 2 tbsp (16 g) cornstarch, and ½ tsp salt.
- Add to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed until the flour just disappears and the dough begins to clump together, about 1 minute total.
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Ready when: The dough is soft and cohesive, and holds together when squeezed in your hand.
Tip: Stop mixing as soon as no dry flour remains. Overmixing makes the cookies tough.
4
Chill the dough
- Scrape the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: Dough is firm but still pliable enough to roll between your palms.
Tip: If chilled much longer and it turns hard, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling.
5
Preheat and shapeOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).
- Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Scoop the dough by level tablespoons (about 27 g each) and roll between your palms into smooth balls.
- Place 12 balls per sheet, about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
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Ready when: You have 24 evenly sized, smooth balls with no cracks.
Tip: If the dough feels sticky while rolling, return it to the fridge for 10 minutes.
6
Bake until setOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake both sheets at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes, swapping the sheets between racks and rotating them front to back halfway through.
- The cookies should look puffed and set but still pale.
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Ready when: Surfaces look dry and matte, and the edges are just barely starting to turn pale golden.
Tip: Do not let them brown at this stage, since they bake again after filling.
7
Indent and fillOven 350°F / 175°C
- Remove the sheets from the oven and leave the oven on.
- Immediately press the rounded back of a ½-teaspoon measure or your thumb about ½ inch (1.5 cm) deep into the center of each cookie.
- If the edges crack, gently press them back together.
- Spoon a heaping 1 teaspoon (about 6 to 7 g) of jam into each well.
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Ready when: Each well is deep and holds the jam level with, not above, the cookie's rim.
Tip: Do not overfill. The jam will bubble in the oven and run over the edges if heaped too high.
8
Finish bakingOven 350°F / 175°C
- Return the sheets to the oven, swapping racks again, and bake for 10 more minutes at 350°F (175°C), until the jam is bubbling gently and the cookie edges are light golden brown.
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Ready when: Edges are light golden and the jam is glossy and bubbling at the edges.
9
Cool and dust
- Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 10 minutes so they firm up, then use a thin spatula to move them to a wire rack.
- Cool completely, about 20 minutes more.
- If desired, dust the cookie edges lightly with the 2 tbsp powdered sugar through a fine-mesh sieve, avoiding the jam.
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Ready when: Cookies are firm to the touch and the jam is no longer runny.
Tip: Dust only after cooling completely, or the sugar will melt into the cookie and look patchy.

Good to know

Tips

Weigh the dough balls for even cookies that bake at the same rate; about 27 g each is ideal.
Re-press the wells right after the first bake while the cookies are soft, since they will puff back up slightly.
If your jam is chunky, stir it well or briefly pulse it so it fills the wells neatly.
Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack if your oven has uneven heat, adding 1 to 2 minutes to each bake.

Make ahead

"The dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, tightly wrapped; let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling. Shaped, unbaked balls can be frozen on a tray, transferred to a freezer bag, and baked from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the first bake."

Storage & reheating

"Store in an airtight container, layered with parchment, at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week (bring to room temperature before serving). Freeze baked, undusted cookies for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refresh in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar."

Substitutions

seedless raspberry jam → apricot, strawberry, or blackcurrant jam, or lemon curd. Use a thick, spreadable set. Lemon curd should be added in the same amounts and may bake slightly softer.
unsalted butter → salted butter. Reduce the fine sea salt to ¼ tsp.
cornstarch → additional all-purpose flour (2 tbsp, 16 g). The cookies will be slightly less tender but still delicious.
pure vanilla extract → ½ tsp almond extract plus 1½ tsp vanilla extract. Adds a classic almond note that pairs well with raspberry.