Description
Classic Jam Drops, also known as Thumbprint Cookies, are buttery vanilla shortbread cookies filled with your choice of flavorful jam. Made the traditional way by creating a thumbprint indentation before baking, these cookies offer a perfect balance of crumbly sweetness and fruity jam. Ideal for tea time or festive occasions, this recipe features a tender dough enriched with vanilla and butter for a rich texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 225g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup caster sugar / superfine sugar (regular/granulated sugar can be used too)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature (~50-55g/2oz)
- 2 1/2 cups plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
Filling
- 1/2 cup strawberry or raspberry jam (or any other flavor, mixed well to loosen)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a mixing bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter and caster sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and the egg, then mix well until fully incorporated.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sift together the plain flour and salt, then gradually add to the wet mixture. Mix gently until a smooth, soft dough forms. Be careful not to overmix.
- Shape the Cookies: Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Line baking trays with parchment paper. Roll portions of dough into 1-inch balls and place them spaced apart on the trays.
- Make the Thumbprint Indentation: Using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon, gently press into the center of each dough ball to create a well-shaped indentation, being careful not to press all the way through.
- Fill with Jam: Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of your chosen jam into each indentation, filling it generously but avoiding overflow.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the jam drops in the preheated oven for 14 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden and the jam has set. The jam will bake into the cookie, giving a delightful flavor and texture.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the trays from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy your homemade thumbprint cookies with a cup of tea or coffee.
Notes
- Watch the recipe video for visual guidance on creating perfect thumbprint cookies.
- These cookies are buttery, with vanilla-infused shortbread filling and a generous jam center.
- I prefer baking the jam in the cookie rather than filling them after baking to enhance flavor and texture.
- Use your thumb to make the indentation to keep with the traditional method, hence the name Thumbprint Cookies.
- Feel free to use any jam flavor you prefer: strawberry, raspberry, and apricot are all popular choices.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 139 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 77 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 23 mg
