Delicious and attractive little cookies, with a thumb indentation filled with preserves. Fill with different colored preserves for an interesting presentation.
These were pretty good, better if you make sure you slightly underbake them. I did one batch with putting the jelly on AFTER baking them and a second batch putting the jelly on halfway through baking. I preferred the batch in which I added jelly halfway through baking because it stays in place better and it looks nicer, more smooth. I used apple jelly and colored half green, half red for Christmas. The dough was very easy and nice to work with! Make sure you put a DEEP imprint in the cookie for the jelly. The first batch I put a regular thumbprint in the cookies and when they baked, you could hardly see it anymore and there wasn't much of a well anymore for the jelly.
Read MoreI was not so crazy about these. I thot the jam would thicken up like the store bought kind, mine did not.
Read MoreThese were pretty good, better if you make sure you slightly underbake them. I did one batch with putting the jelly on AFTER baking them and a second batch putting the jelly on halfway through baking. I preferred the batch in which I added jelly halfway through baking because it stays in place better and it looks nicer, more smooth. I used apple jelly and colored half green, half red for Christmas. The dough was very easy and nice to work with! Make sure you put a DEEP imprint in the cookie for the jelly. The first batch I put a regular thumbprint in the cookies and when they baked, you could hardly see it anymore and there wasn't much of a well anymore for the jelly.
I love these cookies and they look very pretty too if you are bringing dessert to a party or a friend's house. I like them better without the nuts, so I suggest leaving them out. The recipe also tends to be really small (while the recipe indicates that it makes 2 1/2 dozen, I didn't even get a full dozen out of it. I would suggest doubling the ingredients for a fuller batch. Overall easy to make and yummy!
These were great additions to my other Christmas cookies. I left some without the nuts and I used mint jelly instead for a festive look! Everybody loved them!
This recipe is the perfect size for two people. I added a dash of cinnamon and it was wonderful. I used a pastry bag with the jelly for faster/easier filling.
Well, I made a few changes on this recipe due to ingredient limitations. I used butter flavored shortening instead of butter. I doubled the recipe. Used half as many whole eggs instead of separated, since I didn't do the nut thing. I added a pinch of cream of tartar, and a pinch of baking soda because I couldn't find the baking powder, andI wanted teh cookies to puff up. I added about 1/2 cup more sugar because I was afraid they wouldn't be very sweet, and rolled the balls a bit bigger. I filled half of them with apricot preserves, and the other half with raspberry. I never even looked at the baking time and temps, but I baked them at 325 convection for 12 minutes. Everyone loved them, and I plan to make them again soon!
These cookies are great tasting! My husband likes when I use a variety blackberry jam, orange marmalade, and peach preserves. My kids like them, but not as well as gingerbread men or chocolate chip cookies. Love how it has a delicate shortbread taste texture.
These cookies are buttery and delicious! I tripled the recipe, and everything turned out fine. When doubling or tripling the recipe, you should be able to save some of the egg whites for another use. I increased the sugar to 1/2 cup. I also omitted the salt, and the cookies tasted fine. To make dough easier to handle, try chilling it for about an hour or more before shaping it into balls. Very impressive-looking cookies!
I make these every year for Christmas and get a lot of compliments. Excellent cookie- look very pretty on the platters I give away.
They were good, but I had a hard time making the whole in the middle just right for the preserves. My cookies seemed to want to spread too much. I used powdered sugar instead of nuts and the office staff loved them.
These are simply delicious! I skipped the egg white/nut step - as I love the simple taste of a great shortbread cookie. I do recommend filling with jam first, then baking the full time - mine were done in 17 minutes, and came out beautifully. Thanks!
I've made this a couple of times now, loved them. Chopping and rolling in the nuts was the hardest part. Next time I hope to remember to fill the jam before baking for a better jam texture.
I used raspberry preserves in the thumb print. They are a great butter cookie with a delicious middle.
These were delicious! I made them for a wedding shower and got lots of compliments. Like other commenters, I added the jam before baking, and the tip to put the jam in a plastic sandwich bag and cut off the corner for filling the cookies was a HUGE help--probably cut the prep time in half. I also added about two tsp. of fresh rosemary to the batter, using apricot jam for half of the cookies and raspberry for the other half. I will definitely make these again.
These were awesome. I made some with blackberry and I made some with strawberry. I drizzled ganache over the strawberry cookies. Masterpiece. If you are looking for a great thumbprint this is the one you will want to use.
Very good cookie with various fillings. We like ours with orange marmalade, but also have tried raspberry and strawberry preserves (orange was the hands-down winner, though!).
I used grape jelly, and orange marmalade to fill my cookies, and I filled them before baking. Just make sure to make the indentation very deep in your cookie, and you shouldn't have any jelly overflow. I used pecans instead of walnuts.Made these last night after everyone went to bed, and they are almost gone already! They are so yummy.
Wow wow wow! I LOVE these cookies! I fill them with jelly first (I love raspberry the best) and then cook. I also don't bother with the eggwash or nuts.
I LOVE this recipe. I wanted a lot of cookies so I changed it up to 160cookies. I did exactly what the measurements said...and they are gorgeous. I have made these since I was 8 with my mom only lost the recipe...Sure glad this one showed up cause it was exactly the same. I always freeze them on a platter after baking this allows the jam to set better for mailing to family. Thank you for posting this recipe...and Merry Christmas
a favorite!! always the first cookie i make to be completely gone. i use a variety of preserves, the consistency tends to hold up better than jams & jellies. apricot and a cherry/rasp/blackberry blend are our personal faves. some tips i've learned after a decade of making these: -chill dough for at least one hour before balling. -a 1" scoop or baller shaves time - i put chopped nuts into zip seal sandwich bag & then beat with a tenderizer, then i toss the balled dough in to coat with nuts -to solve transport issues with this delicate cookie, place dough balls in lightly greased mini muffin tins cookie will be denser & more sturdy, but taste is not compromised.
These were good. I also skipped the nuts/egg white part and put the jam in before I baked them. Rich and buttery - a nice shortbread flavor.
These were fine but I didn't add the jam before cooking and I think they would have been better if I did follow the others advice. Will probably make again.
Just like I remember my Grandma and my Mom making! I did some with chocolate, some with strawberry jam and some with apricot.
Quite simple, beautiful little cookies that taste delicate and are delightfully scrumptious. A great recipe!
I made them for a chruch dinner and everyone loved them! Makes a good amount of cookies and taste best if instead of adding in walnuts, when their done roll them in powder sugar than put starwberry jam on them and serve. The best cookies I ever made. (Don't add salt taste best without)
Yum! Had to make a few revisions but these turned out very well. I didn't have butter so I used shortening I added a little extra sugar, I chilled the dough for a while before rolling into balls (it was still a bit crumbly - next time, I will chill it for an hour or two), I rolled the balls in coconut instead of nuts, and filled with jam before baking. They turned out great and looked very pretty and professional, just like at the bakery. I got 14 large cookies from this recipe.
Make sure you make smaller cookies because these break easily. Chill the dough overnight. I added the jelly halfway through cooking time and that gives the jelly a smoother glassy appearance. Instead of strawberry, use apricot or raspberry jelly. Instead of dipping the rolled balls into egg whites and nuts, roll into powder sugar.
YUMMY! These are rich little cookies - almost like a shortbread - that are just right with a cup of tea. The recipe is easy, and the cookies look lovely. The only change I made was to use almond extract instead of vanilla, which gave them a nice light flavour. A winner!
I have been looking for a reliable thumbprint recipe for the past 2 years and this recipe was finally the answer. They were easy make and tasted wonderful. I finally have a fruit cookie for my christmas tray!
Easy, quick and good recipe for jam thumbprint cookies. I tried what people mentioned, no egg wash, no nuts, put jelly in for the full baking time...they turned out good, cept I think I may need to bake them longer than 16 minutes, also, the jam tended to ooze off the cookies and onto the baking sheet. I think I'll make smaller thumbprints and put less jam in next time. I used strawberry jam and blackberry jam. The blackberry jam didn't ooze like the strawberry jam did. But, this recipe is definitely a do-over!
I found this recipe when looking to use up some jam, but I gotta tell you that mine were crumbly and then trying to transport them to church did not make for a great presentation. The taste was ok and it could be something I did so I will give it a four and mention that this cookies does not travel short distances well.
These were good. I used strawberry preserves and filled them before baking. Parchment paper is a most when baking cookies but in this case it's definitely helpful because the filling ocassionally spills/oozes out.
These are great. definitely need the walnuts. I also put in the jam and cooked it for the whole time. It worked great and helped the jam to set. I had made nice deep holes using the end of a chapstick container, so there was no running at all. Very pretty cookies. great to offer at Christmas.
These were fantastic! A tad time consuming but very much worth it. My 88 year old grandma who is the cookie queen even asked for this recipe and raved over them which made me feel so good!!
Delicious! I make these every year with with various other cookies for Christmas and these are always everyone's favorite! I always skip the egg white/nuts part and use raspberry jam. The best tip I could leave is to make sure you use SEEDLESS jam. It really does make a difference. This recipe impressed both my boss and my mother-in-law, my two biggest critics in life! Haha
Followed the recipe exactly. Baked a batch and waited until they were done to put the jam in, and baked a batch with the jam. I thought baking with the jam would help the jam stay on the cookie more. There was actually no difference. LOVE these cookies and they will be on the list every year for Christmas.
Very easy to make! Was a little worried because the dough was sort of crumbly but when we shaped it into the balls it formed perfectly. Instead of nuts we used flaked coconut & they turned out yummy!!!
I also add the jelly before baking them. It does help it to set. Instead of nuts, I always roll them in flaked coconut, tinted with red and green food coloring!
after making the dough, I divided it in half and added orange extract to one half anf almond extract to the other half.I also added a teaspoon of flour to each half to make up for adding the extract. I also refidgerated to make dough easier to handle. making two different flavored cookies with with strawberry jam.
My sister and I made these wonderful cookies, and they turned out just perfect! I highly recommend these cookies to everyone. They are extremely tasty and quite easy to make. I do advise putting the jam/preserves in the cookies before baking them. I will definitely make Jam Thumbprints again and again!
The best cookies ever. I tried them with chopped walnuts and chopped pecans. The pecans turned out soooo good.
Yum! This is one of my all time favorite cookies. It's wonderful to have a taste of home made summer jam in winter.
These cookies are a great festive holiday cookie: easy to make, but look gourmet! I use stainless steel pans (and a stainless steel spatula) and haven't had any problems with sticking.
I made these with pistachios and raspberry seedless jam. I refrigerated the dough for a couple of hours so they were easier to handle. And instead of rolling the balled dough in nuts, I rolled into balls, created the imprint, brushed with egg yolk and sprinkled the finely chopped pistachios on top. They were delicious and my mom keeps asking me to make them every time the subject of cookies comes up!
WOW! these are absolutely delicious! I made these for Christmas gifts this year and followed it exactly. I used blackberry and red raspberry preserves and couldn't keep my hands off of them. They were a huge hit with my neighbors as well. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
This was a very easy recipe and very tastey! Everyone loved them and I make them all the time now.
They are toooooooooooooooooooo good, I put a dash of almond extract, ummm oh Sandy from NJ
Made them on Sunday... Delicious... I double the recipe.. Instead of Vanilla, I used Almond Extract plus I added a small amount of Cinnamon....rolled in sunflower seeds for a hint of salt. Baked with a half Maraschino Cherry in the thumb print..
Delicious. Exactly what I expected. Not super sweet but perfect (you're supposed to get sweetness from the jam). I will be making theses again.
i am not a great baker, so i think that is why i didnt end up enjoying these. they were too salty for my tatse- i could of added in more salt then was called for by mistake, though my boyfreinds mother ate them all up and said they were delicious! and asked me to bake her some more. so thats why i give them a 4 star instead of a 5.
I was not so crazy about these. I thot the jam would thicken up like the store bought kind, mine did not.
These are sooo good!! I followed the recipe exactly only did not roll in egg white and nuts. I also add the preserves before baking. I have been making these for a few years for my Christmas cookie plates and always get compliments.
very good. i doubled this recipe. i used raspberry jam instead and i cooked them for 5 minutes, took them out, did the thumbprints, put the jam in, and placed them back in the oven for 10 min. I cooked them at 300 instead of 350 so the jam didnt run over. Instead of walnuts, I made a glaze from 2/3 c. confectioners sugar and 2 Tbsp. Milk. This made it really good. Overall a really nice recipe.
Very good cookies and easy to make. I did put the jam in before baking. I also doubled the recipe and only got about 40 cookies (not very big - about 1" round balls). They also took about 22-24 min to bake.
This is a great cookie! Although I like them better with almond ex to replace the vanilla and then add cinnamon fallow the cooking instructions but when they are done let them cook and then roll them in powdered sugar. I also put almonds in the center of a few yummy!
These were really yummy, i didnt give it a 5 d/t the fact they seemed a bit dry even though i watched them carefully...
Great little cookie! Not too sweet. I will bake these again. I'll try different toppings... chocolate kisses, meringue, fruits & cream....maybe roll them in coconut and top with mango or papaya...the possibilities are endless! 5 stars!
These cookies were good in the end. I found the dough a little difficult to work with as it was very crumbly. I made two batches and in the second batch, I increased the butter by a scant 1/4 cup - the cookies then turned out perfectly!! The only other change I made was that I used pecans instead of walnuts and I made half the cookies with strawberry jam and the other half with orange marmelade.
These are awesome! They taste great and they are so pretty too. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I love these cookies, but I do them a bit differently. There is absolutely no need to wait to add the jam until after baking. In fact, it turns out MUCH better if you add the jam to the cookies before putting them in the oven. Not only do you bypass the "is my thumbprint big enough" worry, but the jam sets nicely, smooths out with the cookie, and doesn't fall off or jiggle and wiggle unattractively. It does not burn. Just don't put too much jam, only enough to fill the well you've made. It isn't a tricky balance or anything- it's just that if you have a huge excess of jam, it will run off the cookie as it melts. I also prefer them without the walnuts, and find apricot jam to be my absolute favorite filling.
Very good. Exactly what I was looking for, in that they were easy to make and tastes great. I put the jam in before baking them, and also omitted the nuts. Drizzles withGreat recipe.
they were Sooooo oily due to SOO much butter very hard to handle and shape... i didnt wanted to dip it in egg white coz my son is allergic to egg white .. but i will not make thes again... too much butter
these cookies were ok. didn't care for the walnuts. tried rolling them in coconut, which turned out much better. need to roll balls at least 2 inches. the kids didn't care for them, but they are good with a cup of tea.
Easy and delicous! I don't like nuts so I left those out. I added the jam halfway through. I also dusted them with powdered sugar. I will make them again.
very good and easy- but a bit salty. next time i will use unsalted butter or cut the salt. YUMMY though!
Love these cookies. The cookie itself isn't that sweet. It is the Jam that gives it its sweetness. They get really addicting so BEWARE! I love these with a hot cup of coffee. Sometimes I try to justify eating these for breakfast.
Too sticky to handle. Taste was good, but was unable to form into balls for baking. Flattened out.
I really enjoyed these. I used raspberry jam. It was a nice change from all the other Christmas cookies we made.
These cookies are wonderful! They are the exact recipe my mom use to make. I lost the recipe and had been looking for years, trying every thumbprint recipe I could find.....this is it, easy to make and always a crowd pleaser...... The only step I do differently is to fill the cookies with a variety of jams before I bake them, just like mom use too! Definitely a keeper!
I tried this recipe because I lost my Mom's original, and this seemed closest. I made them smaller, and baked a bit less - and after the first 5 minutes, pulled them out and recreated the indentation with the end of a wooden spoon. some of them melted and looked a mess. HOWEVER, when it was all baked (I fill them right after they come out of the oven - apple jelly and mint jelly for Christmas), and I tried one of the melted ones - better than Mom's recipe (Sorry, Mom). The other thing I changed (I know, shame on me) was I used brown sugar - only because the recipe I was trying to duplicate used brown sugar. Worked out pretty good!
Excellent! My family couldn't keep their hands off these. They snatched them up right after taking them out of the oven. They are definately better served warm with the following adjustments: I added strawberry jam to the center of the cookies before baking, rather then after. Since my family aren't big on nuts, I completely left out dipping the dough into the egg whites and rolling into walnuts.
This is a good standard thumbprint recipe, but it does need some tweaking. I've made this recipe as written many times and it always yielded dry, cracking dough which didn't roll into balls well. I now make it with 1/4 cup less flour than the recipe says and it rolls out much better. I prefer to bake the jam into the cookies. You can either add it half way through baking or before you put them in the oven so the jam gets nice and thick and won't slide off of the cookie. I'd also warn against over baking these. It depends on how large your cookies are, but I make mine big and 15 minutes is enough time to cook them through while leaving them tender.
My family and friends love these cookies! I,however, use 1/2 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. almond extract. this adds just a little more flavor to an already great cookie!
This is one of my favorite cookies I change a few things I use red raspberry preserves for the jelly or apricot coat with egg white either before or after rolling in egg white for a pretty sheen and put in the oven....once cool sift confectionaires sugar over them , elehant and delicious
Great cookies! I doubled the recipe and used two eggs yolks plus one whole egg instead of four yolks. Also added the jam before cooking and skipped the egg whites and walnuts. The dough reminded me of spritz cookies.
If you use the handle of a wooden spoon to make the "thumbprint" it will be just deep enough. After baking they will rise a bit so while hot you can repeat the indentation. I also put the jam in when the cookies cooled and the jam was a bit runny. However I did find that after a night in the refridgerater the jam had set nicely.
I skipped the nuts, but only because I didn't have any! Delicious and fast, I love this recipe!!
Very good, just like my grandmother used to make. I tried so many recipes & this one was perfect. Thanks!
These were good tasting but way too crumbly. It was hard to get them off the pan...and i use a nonstick one. even just biting into a cookie causes it to break..maybe the dough needs a little more liquid. i would not make them again
Very easy and a perfect Christmas cookie the kids can help with. Not quite like Mom used to make, but possibly better. I think I had better go have another 5 or 6 before I make that call. :)
great recipe, it came very good and tastes delicious too, it is not too sweet at all....I put strawberries preserves before baking, not after and I think it works better....thank you!
I used a rounded quarter tsp measurement to make a depression in the cookies and filled some with jam and some with marmalade before baking. Also, coated some with walnuts, some with peanuts and left some as is after dipping in egg white. All of them were very good, moist, lightly sweetened and had a delicate texture. Will definitely make them again. See pics for how mine turned out.
I made these for a Christmas Party. They were delicious. I substituted strawberry preserves for Blackberry. Everyone loved them .
They were a hit for our Christmas Cookie Exchange! I will keep them in my list for next year.
Delicious! I put strawberry jam in halfway through cooking, but otherwise followed recipe exactly. I tried leaving out the egg whites and walnuts in a few but just found that the cookies tasted bland and looked boring.
really good with strawberry jam. next time try with peanut butter if too sweet. didn't try rolling in walnuts, do u really need all egg whites for that? Kids love it! dough may seem really sticky/liquidly instead of doughy, but don't add more flour. comes off of wax paper easily, idk about aluminum. good for storing in the freezer then taking them out for another time bc the jam isn't immediately added.
These were absolutley delicious, and very easy! I didn't have any walnuts, so I rolled them in pecans. They are just wonderful cookies!!
Better if you use frosting instead of jam. Color the frosting with green and red food color for a festive look!
I loved these cookies as a kid and the recipe is the same as my Mum's but somehow I hashed it up. I took the dough cold from the fridge and put them on the cookie sheet. Next thing I know they are running all over the sheet and into the bottom of the oven. Presently my kitchen is filled with smoke. Like I say I think I made the mistake not the recipe. Will try again tomorrow and let you know!!
The Jam Thumbprints are delicious. I used Jam instead of the preserves as suggested and it turned out wonderful. They are quite tasty and I received lots of compliments.
