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These are Clara’s cookies. Not mine, not the family’s — they’re specifically and definitively Clara’s. She was seven when she decided she wanted to make something special, and I showed her how to make thumbprint cookies. Now at ten years old, she makes these every December and they’re absolutely perfect every single time. Better than mine, if I’m being honest.
The butter cookie base is simple enough that even a young child can handle it, but the magic is in the fill. A dollop of jam right in the center of each cookie, pressed with a thumb. Clara likes raspberry best, but she’s experimented with strawberry and apricot. The combination of buttery cookie and tart jam is exactly what December needs.
How to Make Clara’s Thumbprint Cookies
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This takes a good three to four minutes with a hand mixer — don’t rush it. The air you beat in now is what makes the cookies tender instead of dense. Add your egg yolk and vanilla, then mix in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms.
Chill the dough for at least an hour. Warm dough is impossible to work with, and chilled dough is a breeze. Clara actually prefers to chill overnight so she can shape and bake in one afternoon. Roll the dough into one-inch balls, place them on a lined sheet pan, and press your thumb into the center of each one to make a well.
Fill each thumbprint with about half a teaspoon of jam. Use a thicker jam like raspberry preserves — runny jam will spread all over the cookie during baking and you’ll lose that beautiful thumbprint shape. Bake at 350 degrees for twelve to fourteen minutes until the edges are just barely golden. Let them cool on the pan for five minutes before moving to a rack.
If Clara’s cookies are a hit, try my 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies for another easy bake with the kids. My Old-Fashioned Lemon Bars are what I make for potlucks, and my Candy Cane Bark is perfect for holiday gift-giving.
Clara's Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup raspberry jam or your favorite jam
Instructions
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Cream the softened butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla.
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Mix in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. Clara chills hers overnight so she can make and bake them in one afternoon.
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Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Press your thumb firmly into the center of each ball to create a well.
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Fill each thumbprint with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Don't overfill or it will overflow during baking.
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Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are just barely golden. The cookies will look slightly underdone, but they'll set as they cool.
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Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Clara wraps hers in clear cellophane with red ribbon for gifts.
Common Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
- Valentine Sugar Cookies
- Candy Cane Bark
- Resurrection Rolls (The Easter Morning Tradition Our Family Won’t Skip)
- Nana Ruth’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
What I Use for This Recipe
A couple things from my kitchen that make this one easier.
Every frosting, every batter, every whipped cream. Light enough that my wrist survives a double batch.
Good sheet pans that never warp in the oven. Years of cookies and sheet pan dinners.
Lemon zest, fresh parmesan, a little nutmeg. Tiny tool that makes everything taste more alive.
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