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Cookies piled on a white plate

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Classic Jam Thumbprint Cookies are filled with raspberry jam and dusted with icing sugar. They are a must have holiday cookie for your Christmas table or cookie exchanges.

Course Dessert
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Servings 36 cookies

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup butter softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup cream cheese softened to room temperature (125g)
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup raspberry jam or other preserves
  • ½ cup icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two large baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer at medium speed beat butter, cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

  3. Add egg, lemon zest and lemon juice and beat to a creamy texture.

  4. Reduce speed to low, gradually add flour and baking powder and beat until a thick dough forms.

  5. Transfer dough to a medium bowl, cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

  6. Remove dough from refrigerator and let rest for 15 minutes. Then form dough into 1 tablespoon balls and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them out at least 1 inch apart. Press your thumb or the back of a 1 teaspoon round measuring spoon into the centre of each ball of dough to flatten the cookie slightly and create a deep well.

  7. Fill each indentation with ½ teaspoon of jam.

  8. Bake cookies for 11 - 13 minutes or just until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow cookies to set for 2 minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely.

  9. Dust the tops with icing sugar.

Recipe Notes

  1. Chill dough at least 2 hours before forming cookies.
  2. Use your thumb or the back of a 1 teaspoon round measuring spoon to make the indentation.
  3. Don’t overfill the indentations with jam, ½ teaspoon is sufficient, as it tends to overflow when baked.
  4. The jam filling in the cookies will be very hot right out of the oven. Let the cookies set and cool for at least 10 minutes before eating them.
  5. Use a small sieve to get the finest sprinkle of icing sugar to dust the tops. The dusting of icing sugar on top of the jam filling will absorb into the jam and become invisible. This is normal.
  6. Store cookies at room temperature for 3 days, in the refrigerator for 10 days or freeze for 2 to 3 months.