Description
Delight in these classic Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies, featuring a buttery, flavorful dough with a crisp texture and a sweet raspberry jam center. Finished with a smooth vanilla glaze, these cookies offer a perfect balance of crunchy and soft, making them an irresistible treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup sugar divided
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
Icing
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons water
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and vanilla extract on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Egg and Dry Ingredients: Beat in the egg until well incorporated, then gradually add the flour mixture, beating until a uniform dough forms.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for one hour to firm up for easier handling.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats or lightly grease them.
- Form and Sugar the Dough Balls: Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
- Create Thumbprint Indentations: Use your thumb or the back of a rounded 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to press an indentation into the center of each dough ball.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 16 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and cookies are set.
- Prepare Jam: While cookies bake, place raspberry jam in a small bowl and heat briefly in the microwave until melted and slightly runny.
- Fill Cookies: Remove baked cookies from oven and immediately spoon melted raspberry jam into the thumbprint indentations.
- Cool Completely: Transfer the cookies to wire racks and allow them to cool fully before glazing.
- Make Icing: In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and water. Mix until smooth and thickened to a drizzling consistency.
- Glaze Cookies: Drizzle the icing over the cooled jam-filled cookies to finish.
- Store Cookies: Store the cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers, keeping them in a cool place to preserve freshness.
Notes
- You may add the raspberry jam before baking or after baking without melting it, but melting the jam before filling provides a prettier presentation and easier stacking.
- Over time, the white icing glaze will develop a tint from the raspberry jam.
- The cookies have a buttery flavor with a crunchy texture rather than chewy, according to family feedback.
- Use parchment or silicone mats to prevent sticking and create easy cleanup.
- For a thicker icing, reduce water quantity slightly; for thinner glaze, add extra water in small increments.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
