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This Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies recipe combines sweet & tart flavors in a perfectly soft, melt-in-your-mouth cookie. Don’t forget the glaze!
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Delicate, soft, and sweet, you can never stop with just one. Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies are a classic cookie that we’ve all tried and enjoyed. Though some make their indentation with a spoon, you can go all the way and use your thumb, feeling very ‘professional baker’. Fill the thumbprint crevice with raspberry preserves or jam, and you have a delicious cookie that everyone will love. The almond glaze over top perfectly makes these cookies all you could want, almost like a mini pastry!
Ingredients in Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
- Butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Almond Extract
- Flour
- Salt
- Raspberry Jam
- Glaze – made of milk, almond extract and powdered sugar
Variations
Many fillings would taste great in a thumbprint cookie. Some of my favorites:
- Chocolate ganache
- Nutella
- Caramel
- Strawberry jam
- Apricot jam
- Blueberry jam
- Lemon curd
Preparing the Dough
When you are preparing the dough, chill your butter beforehand. This will keep your cookies from spreading too much as they bake. Also, as you are working with your dough, it should be soft, but not sticky. If it is too sticky, add a little all-purpose flour until you can touch it without the dough sticking to your finger. You don’t want it too sticky because then you won’t be able to put your thumbprint in there.
Recipe Tip
Make sure to space the cookies out a little on the baking sheet as they will spread during baking.
Frequently Asked Questions about Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
If you didn’t chill your butter, or over time, the butter in your cookie dough may have become warm. This would cause your thumbprint cookies to flatten out as they bake.
The dough might be a little too dry and/or have too much flour in it. You want to have the right balance between not so sticky that you can’t put a thumbprint in it, but not so dry that it crumbles apart.
Originally from Sweden, these cookies are called Hallongrotta, which means “raspberry cave”. Traditionally made with the same ingredients we use now, butter, flour, sugar, vanilla, and then a filling of raspberry jam, these treats have been around since at least the 1800s.
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How to Make Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350℉. Mix the butter and sugar together until creamy.
- Add egg and almond extract. Mix until combined.
- Add flour and salt and mix to combine. Dough should be soft but not sticky. If it sticks to your hands, add a little bit more flour until you can touch it without dough coming off on your finger.
- Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on a baking sheet. Press your thumb into the center of each dough ball and make an indent. This is where the jam will go. Make sure to not push all the way through the dough.
- Fill each indent up with raspberry jam.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly golden brown. The top will stay fairly pale. Place on a wire rack to cool.
- Make the glaze by combining all ingredients in a small bowl.
- When cookies have cooled, drizzle glaze over the top.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container on the counter.
- If you don’t have almond extract, then you can use vanilla extract.
- Using cold butter instead of room temperature butter helps the cookies not to spread while baking.
