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My review
Perfect Thumbprint Cookies
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Chef John
"My mother, Pauline, made really nice thumbprint cookies, but I never wrote down her recipe. I knew the ingredients, but unless you have the right proportions, you won't get that perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture. So, I did an image search and found a recipe that looked very similar, credited to a great-grandma named Mitzi. Since my last name is Mitzewich, that pretty much sealed the deal. In case you can't decide between a shortbread-focused cookie and a more jammy one, here's how to make both."
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Ingredients
50 m servings 139Original recipe yields 20 servings (20 to 24 cookies)
- Adjust
- US
- Metric
Directions
{{model.addEditText}} Print- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Mix butter and powdered sugar together with a rubber spatula until creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and egg yolk. Mix with the spatula. Add flour and blend until just combined.
- Use a sorbet scoop to portion dough into 1/2-ounce (1-tablespoon) balls. Roll balls in a plate of white sugar to coat; roll again between your palms. Place several inches apart on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Flatten balls lightly with your fingers.
- To make shortbread cookies with a little jam, poke a well into each cookie using the end of a thick wooden spoon dusted with powdered sugar or using one of your fingers. Fill cookies with fruit jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
- Bake in the preheated oven until tops are barely blonde and bottoms are slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before icing.
- Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar with a little milk until you have a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. Pipe icing on top of cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
- For a more jam-forward cookie, press your thumb into the cookies to make large, shallow indentations. Spoon in jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter.
- Bake until not quite golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let rest on pan for 5 minutes before transferring a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.
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Footnotes
- Chef's Notes:
- For best results, do not chill the dough.
- For the icing, feel free to use water instead of milk.
Nutrition Facts
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Reviews
Read all reviews 18Most helpful
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12/24/2018
These are wonderful. The powdered sugar gives the cookies a very soft texture and they're not overpoweringly sweet so they pair very nicely with the jam (we used lemon and fig). If you live at a...
12/20/2018
I was looking for a quick thumbprint cookie that didn't require refrigeration, and here was Chef John's recipe to save the day! Perfect shortbread, tastes fantastic, and looks beautiful! The tex...
10/29/2019
Possibly the best thumbprint...ever. The dough is to die for. It's tender and melts in your mouth. I have tried many others over the 20+ years of baking and giving special holiday bakes as gi...
1/12/2020
I just want to say...chef John, i love you. these are fantabulous! Please keep making food porn...
12/25/2019
I did not add the frosting on top. But they are lovely little cookies .
12/21/2019
The cookies are amazing, although I typically need to add more butter to get them to where they are the right texture. Following the recipe for me seems to have them turn out too dry when trying...
12/18/2019
I am so happy with the results! They are super easy, full of fluffy buttery flavour and a slight taste of almond. I piped the icing and I am thrilled with the look. Thanks Chef John or shoul...
12/8/2019
Quick and easy.... can make them on short notice with ingredients always in the pantry. perfect for surprise visits I have family with nut allergies... substituted orange extract for the almo...