Jam Drops (Thumbprint Cookies)
User Reviews
4.9
99 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
26 mins
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Cook Time
26 mins
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Cooling
15 mins
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Servings
28
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Calories
139 kcal
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Course
Baked Goods
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Cuisine
American
Jam Drops (Thumbprint Cookies)
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Recipe video above. Buttery vanilla shortbread biscuits filled with jam, made the old fashioned way - because you can't improve on perfection! I'm a little more generous on the jam than typical recipes, and insist on baking the jam into the cookie rather than filling the dent in afterwards (it's just not the same!).I also insist on making this the traditional way using your thumb to make the dent (hence the recipe name Thumbprint Cookies). Use any flavoured jam you want, though strawberry and raspberry are popular choices (strawberry is pictured), apricot is also common.
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Ingredients
- 225g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup caster sugar / superfine sugar (regular/granulated sugar ok too, Note 1)
- 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
- 1/2 cup strawberry or raspberry jam , or any other flavour, mixed well to loosen (Note 2)
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Instructions
Abbreviated steps for baking pros:
- Cream butter and sugar. Beat in vanilla, egg and salt, then beat in flour. Roll 3cm/1.2" balls (#60 cookie scoop), flatten, indent, fill. Bake 14 minutes 180°C/350°F (160°C fan), cool on tray.
Full recipe steps
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Line 2 trays with baking paper/parchment paper.
- Cream butter and sugar - Beat the butter and sugar until creamy - about 1 1/2 minutes on medium speed using an electric beater or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Crumbly dough - Add the vanilla, egg and salt, then beat for ~20 seconds until incorporated. Add the flour and salt, then beat until you cannot see white flour. The mixture will be crumbly.
- Form cookies - Measure out 1 tablespoon of mixture, very tightly packed (#60 cookie scoop). Tap out onto your hand, scrunch in your first to press into a dough then roll into a smooth ball (3cm/1.2"). Flatten into a 1.25cm / 0.5" thick disc then use your thumb to make an indent. (This method avoids cracks, see Note 3).
- Fill - Place cookie on the tray, and repeat to make 25 - 28 cookies, leaving 3.5cm / 1.5" between each. Fill the indent with slightly heaped 1/2 teaspoon jam (Note 4).
- Bake for 14 minutes (both trays at the same time), or until the edges are light golden and the surface is pale golden. Rotate and switch the tray shelves at the 10 minute mark, so they cook evenly.
- Cool fully on the tray (the base will finish cooking). Then grab and devour!
Notes
- Caster sugar (superfine sugar) is finer than regular sugar so it bakes it a wee bit better in stiff doughs like this, I find. However, regular white sugar works fine too. Brown sugar can be substituted but the cookie will be softer and a little more golden.
- Loosen jam by microwaving briefly then stirring vigorously, so it sort of thickly oozes when dolloped into the dent rather than a lump of jam (might not spread when baked). But make sure it's not hot when you fill the cookies (will make butter in cookies melt = bad)
- make sure it's not hot
- Apricot is also another popular jam flavour. Try a mix so you have lovely colours!
- Stop crackage - Roll > flatten > indent each cookie one at a time, as you go, as the dough is slightly warm and pliable, so less prone to breaking. (Rather than rolling all, putting on tray, then indenting them all at the same time - dough surface dries out / goes slightly cold = crackage)
- Jam filling - Though it's tempting, don't be greedy. The jam spreads slightly in the oven and you might get overflow. Restrain now, and you can top up later.
- Different measures - Cup sizes differ slightly between the US (1 cup = 226ml) and the rest of the world (250 ml). While the difference is not enough to make a difference in most recipes, for some baking recipes it can mean the difference between success and failure. I made this recipe using US cups, Australian cups and the weights I've provided and there was no difference in the end result.
- Storage - Biscuits will keep for a week in an airtight container though they are at their best for the first 2 to 3 days (jam starts to soften base). Dough can also be made 2 days ahead and refrigerated, then bring to room temperature (else it's impossible to roll balls). You could even form the cookies, refrigerate (covered in cling wrap), then fill with jam just prior to baking (factor in extra baking time for cold tray).
- Nutrition per cookie, using 28 cookies.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
139cal
(7%)
Carbohydrates
18g
(6%)
Protein
1g
(2%)
Fat
7g
(11%)
Saturated Fat
4g
(20%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.3g
Monounsaturated Fat
2g
Trans Fat
0.3g
Cholesterol
23mg
(8%)
Sodium
77mg
(3%)
Potassium
21mg
(1%)
Fiber
0.4g
(2%)
Sugar
8g
(16%)
Vitamin A
209IU
(4%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
6mg
(1%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 28Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 139 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 139cal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 18g | 6% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.3g | 2% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 23mg | 8% |
| Sodium | 77mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 21mg | 0% |
| Fiber | 0.4g | 2% |
| Sugar | 8g | 16% |
| Vitamin A | 209IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 6mg | 1% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
99 reviews
Excellent
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