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Homemade Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe photo

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

Buttery thumbprint cookies filled with raspberry jam — crisp at the edges and soft in the center.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cupsalted butter113 grams room temperature (1 stick)
  • 1/2 cupbrown sugar107 grams
  • 1/2 cuppowdered sugar57 grams
  • 1 egg yolk14 grams
  • 2 teaspoonspure vanilla extract8 grams
  • 1 teaspoonground cinnamon3 grams
  • 1/2 teaspoonground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour180 grams
  • 1/2 cupchopped pecans57 grams
  • 1/2 cupraspberry jam170 grams

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale(optional)
  • Baking Sheet
  • Hand Mixer

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to cream ½ cup (113 g) salted butter, ½ cup (107 g) brown sugar, and ½ cup (57 g) powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 1–2 minutes.
  3. Mix in 1 egg yolk (14 g) and 2 teaspoons (8 g) pure vanilla extract until combined.
  4. Add 1 teaspoon (3 g) ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour, and ½ cup (57 g) chopped pecans. Stir until just combined—do not overmix.
  5. Divide the dough into equal portions and roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet, leaving room between them for slight spreading.
  6. Press a thumb or the back of a teaspoon into the center of each dough ball to create an indentation large enough to hold jam.
  7. Spoon the ½ cup (170 g) raspberry jam into the indentations, taking care not to overfill.
  8. Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the cookies are just set and the edges are beginning to color.
  9. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies sit on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. They will feel soft at first and will firm as they cool.

Notes

These cookies are deliciously soft with the perfect amount of sweet and tart produced by the jam. I included the pecans for a little extra crunch, but it’s important that the pecans are small enough for the dough to stick together.
When recipe testing, I tested the recipe without using an egg yolk and used a whole egg instead. I found that it completely changed the structure and the cookies were definitely harder and more crunchy when I used a whole egg. I think the egg yolk is necessary in order to keep the cookies soft.
Don’t over mix the cookie dough or they can become tough. Just mix it until the dry ingredients are combined.