Hard French Dessert

Perfect Thumbprint Cookies

Name: Perfect Thumbprint Cookies
Prep time: 17 min
Cook time: 63 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 0.33 cups unsifted powdered sugar; 1 stick unsalted butter , at room temperature; 1 large egg yolk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 0.25 teaspoons fine salt; 0.13 teaspoons almond extract; 1.25 cups all-purpose flour; 0.33 cups white sugar , or as needed; 0.5 cups fruit jam , divided

Total Time

1h 20m

17m prep · 63m cook

Servings

4 people

Rating

—

Difficulty

Hard

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My mother, Pauline, made really nice thumbprint cookies, but I never wrote down her recipe. I knew the ingredients, but unless you have the right proportions, you won't get that perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture. So, I did an image search and found a recipe that looked very similar, credited to a great-grandma named Mitzi. Since my last name is Mitzewich, that pretty much sealed the deal. In case you can't decide between a shortbread-focused cookie and a jammier one, here's how to make both.

Ingredients

0.33 cups unsifted powdered sugar
1 stick unsalted butter , at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
0.25 teaspoons fine salt
0.13 teaspoons almond extract
1.25 cups all-purpose flour
0.33 cups white sugar , or as needed
0.5 cups fruit jam , divided

Instructions

1

Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
2

Mix together powdered sugar and butter in a large bowl with a rubber spatula until creamy. Add egg yolk, vanilla, salt, and almond extract; mix well. Blend in flour until just combined.
3

Use a sorbet scoop to portion dough into 1/2-ounce (about 1 tablespoon) balls. Roll each ball in a plate of white sugar to coat; roll again between your palms.
4

Place several inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten balls lightly with your fingers.
5

For rounder cookies with less jam, poke a well into each ball using a finger or the end of a thick wooden spoon dusted with powdered sugar. Fill wells with fruit jam. Tap the baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
6

For flatter, jammier cookies: Press thumb into each ball to make a large, shallow indentation. Spoon in jam. Tap the baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
7

Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar.
8

Make icing: Place powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add milk, a little at a time, until icing reaches a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. Pipe over cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.