Dad’s Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint Cookies were my Dad’s favorite. He would sit at the kitchen table waiting for them to come out of the oven. The smell would fill the house and my mother would brew him a pot of coffee to go with the cookies. This is such a vivid memory for me and what makes these cookies so special. In memory of my Dad, here is our family recipe for Dad’s Thumbprint Cookies!

Only 8 simple ingredients are needed to make these bite-size thumbprint cookies. They taste like a shortbread cookie, light and not overly sweet. You can fill them with your favorite flavors of jam– raspberry and apricot are the best. So easy to make and delicious…let’s get baking!

Dad’s Thumbprint Cookies

What’s needed?

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

How to make Thumbprint Cookies?

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet lightly with cooking spray. Put the nuts in a small chopper or food processor and process until chopped well. Set them aside.
• Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Cream together the butter and confectioners’ sugar in a separate bowl until smooth. Add the egg and the vanilla and mix well. Add dry ingredients to the cream mixture and blend completely. Cover and refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes until chilled.
• Scoop 1″ balls of dough and roll them in chopped nuts, pressing the nuts in well. (I try to make at least a dozen cookies without nuts too. Some family and friends like them better that way or may have nut allergies.)
• Fill the cookie sheet, setting cookies 2 inches apart. Press the center of the cookie down with your thumb to form an impression. Fill each impression with jam.

• Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes, checking them often. They will be just slightly browned. Remove them from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.
• Repeat with remaining cookie dough. This recipe makes about 25-30 cookies, depending on how big you make them.

And don’t forget to leave some cookies and a cold glass of milk for someone special…or serve them to your Dad with a hot cup of coffee. They will be gone in a flash! My granddaughter likes to leave these tasty treats for Santa!

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Dad’s Thumbprint Cookies

Dad's Thumbprint Cookies get filled with your favorite flavor of jam and are simply the best holiday treats.

Servings: 30 cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 40 minutes mins

chilling time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Ingredients 

• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped pecans, or walnuts

Instructions 

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet lightly with cooking spray. Put the nuts in a small chopper or food processor and process until chopped well. Set them aside.
• Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Cream together the butter and confectioners’ sugar in a separate bowl until smooth. Add the egg and the vanilla and mix well. Add dry ingredients to the cream mixture and blend completely. Cover and refrigerate the cookie dough for 30 minutes until chilled.
• Scoop 1″ balls of dough and roll them in chopped nuts, pressing the nuts in well. Fill the cookie sheet, setting cookies 2 inches apart. Press the center of the cookie down with your thumb to form an impression.
• Fill each impression with jam. I make jam in the summer from fresh fruit and always save a jar for this recipe.
  
• Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes, checking them often. They will be just slightly browned. Remove them from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.
• Repeat with remaining cookie dough. This recipe makes about 25-30 cookies, depending on how big you make them.
  

Notes

What kind of jam should I use to fill Thumbprint Cookies:

It is really a matter of preference. I have always used raspberry and apricot jam. I make jam in the summer from fresh fruit and always save a jar for this recipe. Homemade jam makes these cookies so delicious. I also try to buy some different flavors of jam at my local farmer’s market each summer. So, today I filled some of them with raspberry jam and others with pineapple jam. Leave me a comment and let me know what flavors you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 112kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 32mgPotassium: 28mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 199IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 1mg