Thumbprint Cookies Recipe: a simple and elegant classic cookie perfect for any occasion
Simple and delicious thumbprint cookie recipe: soft, buttery, and filled with jam, thumbprint cookies are a classic cookie perfect for any occasion.
If you love buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookies with a touch of fruit sweetness, these thumbprint cookies are for you.
They’re made with the same rich, crumbly dough as my Dunkable Christmas Cookies — a traditional Italian pasta frolla-style base — but instead of rolling and cutting, you simply shape the dough into small balls and press the center with your thumb to create a little “well.”
Fill it with your favorite jam or preserve, and after just ten minutes in the oven, you have soft, golden cookies that are every bit as pretty as they are delicious.
Perfect for afternoon tea, a dessert tray, or a sweet homemade gift, they’re the kind of cookie that never goes out of season.
Ingredients
- 330 g plain flour (about 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour), plus a little extra for dusting
- 165 g butter (about ¾ cup), at room temperature
- 130 g sugar (about ⅔ cup)
- 1 whole egg
- 2 egg yolks
- A few drops of vanilla extract
- Your favourite jam: apricot jam works wonderfully for these!
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Electric whisk or wooden spoon
- Baking tray
- Baking paper
- Teaspoon (for the jam)
Method
Make the dough
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and to mix until combined.
Gradually add the flour and use the tips of your fingers to mix until you have a soft, smooth dough.
Do not worry if, at the start, the dough seems a dusty mess! The ingredients are correct: the dough will come together in minutes and will then firm up when chilling. Stop working it as soon as it forms a ball: overworking it will ruin it, trust the process and it will come together beautifully!
Chill
Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for about 30 minutes in the fridge. This helps it firm up and makes shaping easier.
Shape the cookies
Take small portions of dough (about a teaspoon each) and roll into balls. Place them on a lined baking tray, leaving a little space between each.
Create the wells
Use your thumb (or the back of a teaspoon) to gently press into the center of each ball, forming a small indentation.
Fill with jam
Spoon a little jam into each well — about ½ teaspoon per cookie.
Bake
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
Cool and enjoy
Let the cookies cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They’ll stay beautifully soft inside with a delicate buttery crumb.
Baking and presentation tips
For a festive touch, use red and apricot jam for a colorful mix.
If your jam is very runny, stir it with a spoon before filling to thicken slightly.
You can dust cooled cookies with a little icing sugar for a pretty finish.
Why You’ll Love These Thumbprint Cookies
These cookies are simple, classic, and endlessly adaptable. The soft, buttery pasta frolla-style base gives them that unmistakable Italian bakery texture, while the jam adds a fruity sweetness that makes every bite irresistible.
They’re wonderful for everyday baking, perfect for gifts, and lovely alongside tea or coffee — and of course, at Christmas time, they fit right in on the cookie tray next to your other Italian favorites
Thumbprint cookies recipe: pin this!
