Martha Stewart Thumbprint Cookies

Martha Stewart Thumbprint Cookies are an easy holiday batch with ground almonds in buttery dough, filled with raspberry, apricot, or red currant jam. The almond sugar coating bakes into a crunch that makes these Christmas cookie swap treats too good to stop at one.

These cookies work for a dessert tray or gift tin because the recipe makes 36 from butter, flour, sugar, and jam you already have. Press the centers twice during baking so the jam pools stay deep and glossy.

Martha Stewart Thumbprint Cookies

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

36

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

75

kcal

Golden butter cookies with a crunchy almond sugar exterior, a soft crumbly center, and bright pools of strained jam right in the thumbprint.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  

• 1 large egg yolk, plus 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
  

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  

• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  

• 1/2 cup blanched almonds, finely ground
  

• 1/2 cup jam or preserves, such as apricot, red currant, or raspberry, strained if desired
  

Directions

• Cream the butter: Preheat oven to 325°F. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat well.
• Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and salt; add to butter mixture, beating on low until combined.
• Prepare the almond coating: Combine ground almonds with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl.
• Form the cookies: Form dough into 1-inch balls, and dip in beaten egg white, then in almond-and-sugar mixture. Make a deep indentation in the center of each ball with your finger or a wooden spoon. Place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
• Bake and press again: Bake 10 minutes, remove from oven, and press down the centers again. Rotate sheets, and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more.
• Cool and fill with jam: Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool slightly. Fill center of each cookie with about 1 teaspoon jam. Let cool completely.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart 14-cup food processor, KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, Nordic Ware half sheet pan, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use any type of jam for thumbprint cookies?

Thicker jams and preserves work best because they hold their shape during baking. Apricot, raspberry, and red currant are the three Martha Stewart picks, and they each give a different color on the cookie tray. Avoid thin jellies since they melt into the dough and disappear.

How do I store thumbprint cookies?

Filled thumbprint cookies keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 day. If you skip the jam filling, the plain cookies last up to 3 days. Stack them with parchment paper between each layer so the jam does not transfer to the cookie above.

Can I make thumbprint cookies ahead of time?

Bake the cookies without the jam and store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Fill them with jam a few hours before serving so the tops stay bright and the cookies stay crunchy. You can also freeze the unfilled cookies for up to 2 months in a freezer bag.

Why do my thumbprint cookies spread and lose their shape?

The butter was probably too warm when you mixed the dough. Start with room temperature butter, not melted, and press the indentation twice: once before baking and once 10 minutes in. If the dough feels soft, chill it for 15 minutes before forming the balls.

What can I use instead of blanched almonds?

Pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts all work in the same 1/2 cup amount ground fine. You can also use almond flour from the store, which saves the grinding step. The flavor changes slightly with each nut, but the texture and crunch stay the same.