These buttery shortbread thumbprint cookies filled with raspberry jam are so delicious and festive for holiday parties as a special dessert.
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What are Thumbprint Cookies
I love the simplicity of shortbread cookies. Thumbprint cookies are basically shortbread cookies with a little bit of a fruit jam added to an indentation (thumbprint) of the cookie dough. The cookies are soft, slightly firm with a light crisp, and they hold the jam perfectly.
Raspberry thumbprint cookies are an Americanized take on hallongrottor (singular: hallongrotta), Swedish shortbread cookies with raspberry jam that are typically served during the winter holidays. They are also known as jam drops.
Since the raspberry jam filling is red, raspberry thumbprint cookies might also be enjoyed for lunar new year or Valentine’s day. You can also vary this recipe by using your favorite fruit jam flavors, such as strawberry jam, peach jam, blueberry jam, etc..
This recipe is easy to make with an electric hand mixer or electric stand mixer. It’s also simple enough to make manually with a wooden spoon, but allow more time to cream the butter and sugar.
Important Recipe Tips
Before you make these cookies, take two butter sticks out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow time for them to soften. You can cut the butter into smaller pieces and transfer the cut pieces into your mixing bowl to shorten the wait time.
1) Do not over-mix the cookie dough after you add the flour. You want the cookie to be light and crispy and overmixing will allow gluten to form.
2) Divide your dough evenly to make 30 cookies. I eyeball the dough and use a spatula to divide it into four quarters. Then with each quarter, I shape it into a log and tear off about 7-8 pieces about 1 tablespoon each. You can check the size if you have a small digital scale. Alternatively you can use a cookie scoop.
3) Use the back of a rounded measuring spoon to make your indentations. That will have a more consistent appearance compared to using your thumb. If you find that the spoon sticks to the cookie dough, try dipping the back of the spoon in some flour and tapping the excess off before pressing into the cookie dough ball.
4) Chill the rolled and indented cookie dough for 2 hours or more in the refrigerator. I bake my two cookies one tray at a time for even browning. I noticed that the first batch that went into the oven spread a lot more than the second batch. The second tray spent an extra 15 minutes of time to chill in the refrigerator, which seems to make a difference in helping the cookies maintain their shape.
Do These Cookies Freeze and Reheat Well?
These cookies are so delicious but we couldn’t eat them all while they were fresh. So I froze some in a quart-sized zipper freezer bag with parchment paper in between layers. Then I put the freezer bag in a reusuable box to keep the cookies from being crushed in our freezer drawer.
I reheated the cookies in our Vortex airfryer using the reheat mode set at 285°F for 2 minutes. The shortbread was warm and crisp and the jam was warm but not scalding hot. That’s a pretty sweet way to make cookies that taste and smell like freshly baked cookies on demand.
Allergy Aware Thumbprint Cookies
Your friends and loved ones might fall in love with these nut-free raspberry thumbprint cookies. It’s crucial to remind them that not all thumbprint cookies are nut-free. There are some thumbprint recipes that use an almond flour blend for a crispier texture which can be a hidden allergen.
Shortbread cookies are typically made without eggs although there are some recipes which might use an egg yolk for extra richness and color. Since the egg yolk is not essential to bind the cookie ingredients, I omitted it without any of the usual egg substitutes.
I decided to bake with half granulated sugar and half brown sugar so that the cookies would have a little bit of color. You may use all granulated sugar if you prefer.
One reason these jam filled shortbread cookies taste so delicious is because it’s a very buttery recipe. I like using unsalted butter but if you use salted butter, omit the salt from the recipe
For a dairy-free option, consider baking with Earth Balance’s buttery sticks (contains soy). Note that some dairy-free substitutes might have nuts or other allergens in the ingredients.
Nut-Free Ingredient Notes
I like to use Rodelle Vanilla extract because their baking extracts are made in a facility free of peanuts and tree nuts. Each product listing has an allergen disclaimer which is convenient. One of the reasons I like this company so much is because they have a great customer service department to help if you have additional food allergies besides peanuts and tree nuts.
My favorite brand of jams is Bonne Maman, which is nut-free and gluten-free. Since I shop at Trader Joe’s a lot, I also like Trader Joe’s Raspberry Preserves which costs $5-6 in the store. Trader Joe’s frequently discontinues products or adds new ones, call their customer service if you have any questions about cross-contact.
This recipe is free of peanuts, tree nuts, soy, egg, fish, seafood, and sesame as written.
Thumbprint Cookies, a Nut-Free, Egg-Free Recipe
Equipment
- 1 electric stand mixer
- 2 rimmed baking sheets
- 2 silicone baking mats
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups all purpose flour (additional 2 tablespoons for dusting)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar packed, dark is ok too
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam or your favorite fruit jam
Instructions
- Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets, and refrigerate.
- Cut the butter into smaller pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl (such as the bowl for your electric mixer) to soften at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, use a spatula to combine flour, cornstarch, and salt, and set aside.
- Use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter until smooth (1 minute). Add the sugar and cream until lighter in color and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
- Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix briefly, add the rest of the flour mixture, scrape down sides and mix until combined. Do not over mix, the dough will be a little bit loose.
- Divide the cookie dough into approximately quarters. Shape one of the quarters into a log and divide it into 7-8 pieces, approximately 1 tablespoon each. Roll each piece into a ball and place evenly on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the dough is rolled.
- Use a rounded 1-teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indentation into the dough. Dip the spoon into a small bowl of flour to prevent sticking as needed. Use your fingers to pinch together any cracks, the dough is very pliable. Repeat until all the dough balls are shaped with indentations. Refrigerate the baking sheets with prepared cookie dough for at least 2 hours.
- When ready to bake, check that the oven rack is in the middle, and preheat the oven to 350°F. While waiting for the oven to preheat, fill the indentations with a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry jam. Return the cookie trays to the refrigerator until the oven is ready.
- Bake each tray separately for 15 minutes until golden brown. (If your oven bakes evenly, bake both trays at the same time but rotate them halfway.)
- Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for at least 20 minutes before eating or handling them.
Notes
Nutrition
More egg-free cookies, muffins, and bread recipes:
- $250 Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe, Nut-Free & Egg-Free
- Delicious Lemon Vanilla Crinkle Cookies Recipe That is Nut-Free & Egg-Free
- Magical Snickerdoodle Cookies, a Nut-Free & Egg-Free Recipe
- Blueberry Lemon Muffins Recipe: Easy, Moist, & Delicious
- Nut Free, Egg Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
- Scallion Oil Bread, Chong Yo Bao (nut-free, egg-free)
- Aquafaba Baked Alaskas, Egg-Free Dessert
- Easy Apple Pear Spice Cake Recipe and That’s It Review
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