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Sarah

Thumbprint Cookies with Icing

Buttery vanilla shortbread cookies with a jam center, finished with a sweet icing drizzle. A classic thumbprint cookie recipe for any holiday tray.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Chill Time 25 minutes
Total Time 58 minutes
Servings: 22 cookies
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 90
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup jam of your choice
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tsp milk
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract for icing

Method
 

  1. Cream cold butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
  2. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla extract.
  3. Whisk flour and salt; fold into wet ingredients until just combined.
  4. Chill dough 20-30 minutes.
  5. Roll into 1-tablespoon balls, press a well into each (pinch cracks closed), and fill with 1/2 tsp smooth jam.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake 12-14 minutes, until edges are just set and barely golden.
  7. Cool completely. Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk into a slow-ribbon icing; drizzle over cookies and let set 10 minutes.

Notes

  • Scoop the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off, not scooping straight from the bag — overmeasured flour is the most common cause of crumbly dough.
  • Let the cookies cool fully before icing, or the icing will melt into the jam instead of sitting on top.
  • Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients and will vary with brands and portion size.