Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint Cookies – you may also know them as Polish Tea Cakes or Butterballs.

Combining all things people love so much – butter, nuts and jam – they are classic and favorite cookies for any occasion.

And you know what? They are also really easy to make –  just have a look!

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To prepare the Thumbprint Cookies you need:

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (140 grams) all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (100 grams) walnuts (or hazelnuts or almonds or pecans)

1/2 cup jam (any flavor you like)

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1. Preheat an oven to 350 F (176 C).

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the nuts on the sheet.

3. Toast the nuts for about 10 minutes.

4. Remove the nuts from the oven and let cool.

Then chop them finely and place them into a bowl.

Nice!

5. Now let’s make the dough.

In the bowl of your electric mixer mix the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

6. Separate the egg and add the egg yolk to the batter.

Add the vanilla extract.

And then add the flour and salt to the batter and beat until just combined.

7. On a lightly floured surface form a log from the dough and cut it into about 12 – 15 equal pieces.

8. Form a ball from each piece and refrigerate for about 30 minutes (the balls will be easier to work with when refrigerated).

9. In a bowl whisk the egg white until frothy.

10. Dip a ball into the whisked egg white…

11. … and then roll in the nuts lightly.

Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet spacing about 1 inch (2,5 cm) apart.

12. And now the funny part!

Take one well-built thumb and make an indentation into the center of each cookie.

13. Using a teaspoon, fill the cookie with the jam (if you want to make it more neat you can use a pastry bag or – like me – a small plastic bag with one corner cut off).

14. Bake for about 13-15 minutes.

Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack and let cool.

If you are planning to make these cookies in advance, you can bake them without the jam filling (in that case, reduce the baking time by a few minutes). They can be stored for about one week and filled with jam the same day as serving.

This recipe makes about 15 cookies.

Enjoy!

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14 thoughts on “Thumbprint Cookies

  1. 1

    I would love to taste your cookies. They looks fantastic.

  2. 2
    oneordinaryday says:

    These look beautiful and delicious. I tried my hand – or thumb! – at thumbprint cookies a while back and they sure didn’t come close to these. Nicely done.

  3. 3

    YUMMY!! These look delish!!!! I just started my own blog, feel free to check it out: http://lnk.ms/4hsWT

  4. 4
    littleelle says:

    what a great site! you have tons of really cute recipes.

    so glad i stumbled in!

    – e

  5. 5
    AZ says:

    I make these cookies every year at Christmas, they are beautiful to look at, and they taste great. I always bake the cookies 10 minutes before I add the jam, if you don’t the jam dries out to much.

  6. 6
    Sailor Girl says:

    I have made these cookie several times. They are a favorite. Very easy to make and tasty.

  7. 7
    jack says:

    wow…look so delicious

  8. 8
    Clo says:

    I’m not a massive walnuts fan, can you replace them with hazelnuts maybe?
    Those look delishhhh!

  9. 9
    Edna says:

    I have made these cookies a couple of times using peanuts, they are absolutely delicious except that they were soft and not crispy..fyi I bake the cookies after filling- in the jam for 15 mins…As I am very new to this recipe, I would like to know the taste of the cookie supposedly.Thanks.

  10. 10
    Shirley says:

    Made these before with another recipe but this one was much better and so easy . Thx 🙂

  11. 11
    Nadine says:

    I have made these many times,witha criendsrecipe,and we used Mint jelly so yummy for the season.

  12. 12
    Elizabeth says:

    Can you make them without the nuts been trying to fine a thumbprint cookie recipe with just jam.

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