Thumb Print Cookies

A butter-y, crumbly cookie coated in walnut pieces, with jam or preserves in the center. Thumb print cookies are a family favorite!

My grandmother gave me this recipe and I usually don’t give it out. But now I’m going to break that rule.

There are a lot of variations of thumb print cookie recipes, but this one is my family’s. The biggest difference I see in this compared to others is that they’re covered in walnuts. However, if you have a nut allergy you can skip that bit. You can also substitute the walnuts with another kind of nut. I really like hazelnut, though almonds would probably be pretty good as well.

Also, since jam can be relatively expensive, I usually substitute with seedless preserves. I wouldn’t personally use jelly, but you’re free to experiment with it.

Thumb Print Cookies

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2 egg yolks (KEEP THE WHITES–I sometimes forget to do that)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 egg whites (for dipping)
• walnuts or hazelnuts, finely ground
• 1 jar strawberry jam (seedless)
• 1 jar blackberry jam (seedless)

Step 01: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Put your walnuts in the food processor until they’ve been chopped finely. Set aside.

Step 02: In a medium bowl (or in your rinsed out food processor), cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, salt, and flour.

Step 02: Keep your egg whites in a bowl, set aside. 

Step 03: Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch  balls. Dip in egg yolks and roll in nuts.

Step 04: Put your balls of dough on a prepared baking sheet and press your thumb into them.

Now, I’m not good at this. My mother, grandmother, and aunts can do this perfectly with just their thumbs. I, however, destroy them if I use my thumb. So I spent twenty minutes carefully sculpting mine into tiny volcanoes instead. Do whichever you feel will be more successful.

Step 05: Put jam inside the center of the dough.

Some people like to do this after baking, which you are more than welcome to do (that’s how my grandmother does it–just make sure to do it immediately after they come out of the oven). But my mom and I really like how it tastes when you put the jam in before baking. The texture changes and they seem to just melt in your mouth.

If you choose to put the jam in before, don’t put too much in or it will boil over the cookie and make a huge mess (and look horrible). But no matter which way you do it, be careful not to spill onto the baking sheet. Baked on jam is a pain to wash off.

Step 06: Bake the cookies for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

I always forget how good these cookies are because I only make them once a year. They’re just kind of a pain to make. They’re not particularly difficult, they’re just a little tedious. So I’m glad to only make them once a year. 😛

Also, I’m not sure if Recipe Card’s “91 calories” each thing is accurate. But I’ll believe it! Though as Zach said, “You do not simply eat one thumb print cookie.”

Merry Christmas!

Jam-Filled Thumb Print Cookies

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Prep Time: 30m Cooking Time: 15m

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2 egg yolks (KEEP THE WHITES--I sometimes forget to do that)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 egg whites (for dipping)
• walnuts or hazelnuts, finely ground
• 1 jar strawberry jam (seedless)
• 1 jar blackberry jam (seedless)

Instructions

Step 01: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Put your walnuts in the food processor until they’ve been chopped finely. Set aside.

Step 02: In a medium bowl (or in your rinsed out food processor), cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, salt, and flour.

Step 02: Keep your egg whites in a bowl, set aside. 

Step 03: Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch  balls. Dip in egg yolks and roll in nuts.

Step 04: Put your balls of dough on a prepared baking sheet and press your thumb into them.

Now, I’m not good at this. My mother, grandmother, and aunts can do this perfectly with just their thumbs. I, however, destroy them if I use my thumb. So I spent twenty minutes carefully sculpting mine into tiny volcanoes instead. Do whichever you feel will be more successful.

Step 05: Put jam inside the center of the dough.

Some people like to do this after baking, which you are more than welcome to do (that’s how my grandmother does it–just make sure to do it immediately after they come out of the oven). But my mom and I really like how it tastes when you put the jam in before baking. The texture changes and they seem to just melt in your mouth.

If you choose to put the jam in before, don’t put too much in or it will boil over the cookie and make a huge mess (and look horrible). But no matter which way you do it, be careful not to spill onto the baking sheet. Baked on jam is a pain to wash off.

Step 06: Bake the cookies for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Thumb Print Cookies was last modified: April 15th, 2017 by Chelsey