Every year I give homemade treats as Christmas gifts for my family. Always something edible, creative, and impressive. After scouring Pinterest for weeks, I decided that I really liked the look of thumbprint cookies. They’re the small, round cookies that you press your thumb into and fill with jam, chocolate, caramel, or the like. The contrast of the dough and filling gives the cookies aesthetic appeal and a great combination of flavors.
Some problems I had with the thumbprint cookies include spreading, uneven jelly, and a whole lot of cracking. My solutions:
- Whip the jelly until it is smooth before adding to the cookie dough.
- Press thumbprint in cookie before and after baking (when using a filling that is added after baking).
My favorite shortbread recipe is from the Lemon Thumbprint Cookies by Glorious Treats. It was soft and moist and did not crack when rolled, flattened, and ‘thumb-printed’. Read what I though of each recipe:
Salted Caramel Turtle Thumbprint Cookies from Cooking Classy
Incredible! My mom’s favorite by far!
I would suggest adding zest and orange extract to make the cookies’ flavor pop! I filled mine with a dark ganache and candied orange zest.
The best shortbread cookie. It was soft, moist, and didn’t crack when shaped. I added lemon extract for extra flavor.
I’m a sucker for anything almond, so these were heavenly.
So super moist and chewy. Definitely a winner!
Such a great combination of apple and spice. Tastes like apple pie!
Yum yum yum!
Mine weren’t quite so pretty, but still every bit delicious.
Read my expert tips for making perfect cookies!
