PERFECT THUMBPRINT COOKIES

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Perfect Thumbprint Cookies image

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 more jammy one, here's how to make both.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     Desserts     Cookies     Thumbprint Cookie Recipes

Time 50m

Yield 20

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅓ cup unsifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon fine salt
1 large egg yolk
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup white sugar, or as needed
½ cup fruit jam, divided
1 cup powdered sugar, or as needed
1 tablespoon milk, or as needed

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  • Mix butter and powdered sugar together with a rubber spatula until creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and egg yolk. Mix with the spatula. Add flour and blend until just combined.
  • Use a sorbet scoop to portion dough into 1/2-ounce (1-tablespoon) balls. Roll balls in a plate of white sugar to coat; roll again between your palms. Place several inches apart on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Flatten balls lightly with your fingers.
  • To make shortbread cookies with a little jam, poke a well into each cookie using the end of a thick wooden spoon dusted with powdered sugar or using one of your fingers. Fill cookies with fruit jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until tops are barely blonde and bottoms are slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before icing.
  • Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar with a little milk until you have a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. Pipe icing on top of cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
  • For a more jam-forward cookie, press your thumb into the cookies to make large, shallow indentations. Spoon in jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter.
  • Bake until not quite golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let rest on pan for 5 minutes before transferring a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 138.9 calories, Carbohydrate 22.8 g, Cholesterol 22.5 mg, Fat 4.9 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Sodium 33.2 mg, Sugar 15.1 g

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