There's nothing quite like the charm of thumbprint cookies during the holidays. These buttery, melt-in your mouth cookies are lightly flavored with almond and filled with jewel like cherry jam, making them as beautiful as they are delicious!
Perfect for Christmas cookie trays, afternoon tea, or a cozy weekend bake.
Try some of my other cookie recipes like Nutella Cookies, Easy to Make Soft Amaretti cookies, or my Italian Butter Cookies.
Visit my recipe box for some more great recipe ideas inspired by Italian tradition!
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Here's Why You'll Love this recipe
What's not to like about these almond flavored thumbprint cookies? Here's why you'll adore them:
- classic holiday cookie with nostalgic touch
- simple and easy to make with pantry staples you have right in your pantry
- versatile that you can switch up the jam for any flavor you like
- beautiful presentation without extra effort
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Plan ahead to make these thumbprint cookies!
To make these cookies, we need to use softened butter. The most traditional method is to leave your butter on the counter for about an hour until you can poke it with your finger and it indents easily.
But, if you are short on time, here are some other methods that work:
- Cut in to Cubes and spread them on a plate. This should take 15 to 20 minutes.
- Rolling Pin Method works by placing butter in between to sheets of parchment paper and rolling it until it is softened.
- Microwave Butter on a plate at 5 second intervals on 30% power, rotating each time to avoid melting
- Warm Glass Method where you fill a glass with hot water and let is sit for a minute, then pour out the water. Then place the warm glass upside down over the butter stick. The butter softens in 5 to 10 minutes.
Once you've rolled the cookies in to a ball, you'll need to refrigerate them for 2 to 3 hours so that the butter solidifies again prior to baking.
Ingredients
These almond and cherry thumbprint cookies come together with: all purpose flour, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, cherry jam, and a touch of salt.
If planning on glazing them you'll also need confectioner's sugar, milk and almond extract.
For exact measurement details and directions see recipe card...
How to Make Almond and Cherry Thumbprint Cookies
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Combine all spices into a large bowl and mix thoroughly into lean ground beef
Form into ball shape with your hands
Press into patties on the tray
Place into oven at 350 fahrenheit
Storage:
Unglazed cookies store very well in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. If you are keeping longer, place in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze and glaze after thawed and just before serving.
Top Tips
Chill dough for about 2 to 3 hours before baking.
Cool cookies completely before icing. I find that icing after 2 hours works well.
Bake until lightly golden on the edges.
Let icing set for 4 hours before storing in an airtight container.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some great variations and substitutions to take your thumbprint cookies to the next level:
- Jam - replace the cherry jam with blueberry, strawberry or raspberry jam
- Extract Options - lemon or extra vanilla extract can replace the almond extract
- Decoration - add a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar instead of glaze
- Sprinkles - roll the dough in sprinkles for a festive look
- Coconut Flakes - sprinkle coconut flakes on top of glaze
The perfect recipe isn't that far away. I'd love to know how you substituted ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Drop a comment below and let me know!
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Yes! They keep well in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If filled with Jam, you may need to store them in a single layer.
Traditionally, before baking but you can add it after for a neater look.
Yes, freeze them before adding the jam and fill them just before serving.
Other Cookie Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe Details
Melt in Your Mouth Almond Thumbprint Cookies
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caEquipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt eliminate if using salted butter
- ½ cup cherry jam or your preferred jam
Icing (optional)
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- milk water or cream, about ½ tsp at a time
Instructions
- In a medium bowl cream butter for about about one minute. Add sugar and mix sell on medium setting.1 cup unsalted butter, ⅔ cup sugar
- Add vanilla, almond extract, sugar, salt and mix on medium setting.1 tbsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp almond extract
- Add salt. Add flour a little at a time mixing with a paddle attachment on low speed until it reaches the consistency of a dough.2 cups all purpose flour, ¼ tsp salt
- If the dough is too sticky to roll or wet add a little bit more flour.
- Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining it with parchment paper. Using a scoop, I used a 1½ tbsp scoop, scoop out the dough and place it on the baking sheet. Leave about 2 inches all around.
- Go back and take each piece of dough and roll it into a ball and return it to the baking sheet. Repeat until you have rolled all the cookies. Take your thumb and press an indentation into the cookie. The cookie may crack, but just smooth out the crack with your finger to join the dough together again.
- Add jam to the center of the cookie, about ½ tsp or so. You can do this either before or after baking. Doing it before dries out the jam a little bit.½ cup cherry jam
- Bake for about 15 minutes until just lightly golden on the edges. Remove them from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for about 1 hour.
Icing (Optional)
- Place confectioner's sugar in a small bowl and add the almond extract. Then add a tiny bit of milk (½ tsp) at a time and mix until you get a thick paste like consistency. If you add too much milk, just add more confectioner's sugar to thicken up again.½ cup confectioner's sugar, ¼ tsp almond extract, milk
- Place mixture in to a piping bag or snack bag with the a tiny slit on the end and squeeze out icing to decorate cookies.
- Let icing dry for 4 hours before storing.
Notes
Top Tips
Chill dough for about 2 to 3 hours before baking. Cool cookies completely before icing. I find that icing after 2 hours works well. Bake until lightly golden on the edges. Let icing set for 4 hours before storing in an airtight container. Forgot to soften your butter? Here are some methods that might help you in a pinch:- Cut in to Cubes and spread them on a plate. This should take 15 to 20 minutes.
- Rolling Pin Method works by placing butter in between to sheets of parchment paper and rolling it until it is softened.
- Microwave Butter on a plate at 5 second intervals on 30% power, rotating each time to avoid melting
- Warm Glass Method where you fill a glass with hot water and let is sit for a minute, then pour out the water. Then place the warm glass upside down over the butter stick. The butter softens in 5 to 10 minutes.
Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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