Best 6 Festive Thumbprints Recipes

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Welcome to the world of festive thumbprints, where sweet, delectable treats await your culinary exploration! These bite-sized wonders are perfect for any joyous occasion, from holiday gatherings to birthday celebrations. With their colorful sprinkles, rich fillings, and melt-in-your-mouth texture, festive thumbprints are sure to delight taste buds of all ages. Whether you prefer traditional flavors or want to experiment with unique combinations, this article will guide you through the steps of creating the perfect festive thumbprint cookies, leaving you with a delightful assortment of treats that are both visually stunning and irresistibly delicious.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

SUNNY'S HOLIDAY PB AND J THUMBPRINTS



Sunny's Holiday PB and J Thumbprints image

To give her cookies holiday sparkle, Sunny Anderson rolls them in turbinado sugar, a large-grained sugar with a mild molasses flavor. As the cookies cool, the sugar forms a crisp crackly outer layer on the cookie, too.

Provided by Sunny Anderson

Time 3h45m

Yield 36 thumbprints

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup turbinado or raw cane sugar (recommended: Sugar in the Raw)
1/3 cup strawberry preserves

Steps:

  • In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar, and blend on medium-high speed until creamy. Turn off the mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl, pushing everything back towards the center. Then add the salt, vanilla and egg, and blend until combined. Lower the speed of the mixer and add the flour in 1/2-cup intervals. Between each addition be sure to completely blend in all the flour and scrape the sides as before. Once completely combined, scrape the dough out of the mixer, add to a container with a lid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and, using a tablespoon, scoop out the dough and roll into a ball between your hands. Then roll the formed ball in the turbinado sugar and place on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat for the rest of the balls, making sure to separate them on the sheet by about 1 inch. Try chopping roasted peanuts and adding them to the sugar before rolling out all the balls or add a drop of food coloring to the sugar to make the cookies even more festive!
  • Once all the balls are on the baking sheet, make an indentation in the center of each using the rounded end of a wooden spoon, the back of a rounded teaspoon or your good old-fashioned thumb. Fill the center of each with about 1/2 teaspoon strawberry preserves. Bake until lightly golden, about 12 minutes. Remove to a wire rack. Let cool before serving.

FESTIVE THUMBPRINTS



Festive Thumbprints image

I never cared for jam-filled thumbprints, so I decided to fill them with frosting instead. This makes them easy to ship, which you can't do with the sticky jam filling. I sent these to my daughter while she was serving in Iraq, and they made the long haul in perfect condition. -Wendy Schlueter, Babbitt, Minnesota

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 40m

Yield about 4 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Colored sprinkles or nonpareils
FILLING:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup 2% milk
8 ounces white candy coating
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Red and green food coloring

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Place sprinkles in a shallow bowl or bowls., Shape dough into 1-in. balls; dip tops in sprinkles. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in center of each with your thumb. Bake until edges are light brown, 10-12 minutes. Using a wooden spoon handle, enlarge any indentations that may have narrowed or closed. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool., For filling, bring sugar, butter and milk to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add candy coating and vanilla; stir until smooth. Divide filling between 2 bowls. Using food coloring, tint filling in one bowl red and in the other bowl green. Spoon fillings into indentations; let stand until set.,

Nutrition Facts : Calories 114 calories, Fat 6g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 17mg cholesterol, Sodium 53mg sodium, Carbohydrate 14g carbohydrate (10g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 1g protein.

JAM THUMBPRINTS



Jam Thumbprints image

Delicious and attractive little cookies, with a thumb indentation filled with preserves. Fill with different colored preserves for an interesting presentation.

Provided by Esther Kenagy

Categories     Desserts     Cookies     Thumbprint Cookie Recipes

Time 45m

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 9

⅔ cup butter
⅓ cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
¾ cup finely chopped walnuts
⅓ cup strawberry preserves

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper.
  • In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, vanilla, and salt. Gradually mix in flour.
  • Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls. Dip in lightly beaten egg whites, then roll in finely chopped walnuts. Place 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Press down center of each with thumb.
  • Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Just before serving, fill centers of cookies with strawberry preserves.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 126.4 calories, Carbohydrate 12.4 g, Cholesterol 30.6 mg, Fat 7.9 g, Fiber 0.5 g, Protein 1.9 g, SaturatedFat 3.6 g, Sodium 90.3 mg, Sugar 5.8 g

THUMBPRINT COOKIES



Thumbprint Cookies image

They say that good things come in small packages, and these jam-packed Thumbprint Cookies are proof. Fill yours with apricot, raspberry or even mint jelly-whatever suits your palate. You can't go wrong. This Thumbprint Cookies recipe won't let you! It's been tested to perfection. The shortbread-style cookie dough is a breeze to throw together and work with. It also bakes up deliciously, making some of the best Thumbprint Cookies you've ever tasted. It's not too sweet, which allows the jam to shine through. But the best part about these jam-filled cookies has got to be the almonds. Each ball of dough is rolled in finely chopped almonds before baking, which enriches the dough and adds a nubby texture that's truly delightful! So if you've been looking for classic Thumbprint Cookies that taste just like grandma's, search no more-you've found them!

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h20m

Yield 36

Number Of Ingredients 9

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, separated
1 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
Jelly

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 350°F.
  • Mix brown sugar, shortening, butter, vanilla and egg yolk in medium bowl. Stir in flour and salt until dough holds together.
  • Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Beat egg white slightly. Dip each ball into egg white. Roll in nuts. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Press thumb deeply in center of each.
  • Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Fill thumbprints with jelly.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 85, Carbohydrate 9 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Fat 1, Fiber 0 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, ServingSize 1 Cookie, Sodium 30 mg

THUMBPRINTS WITH DULCE DE LECHE, NUTELLA OR JAM



Thumbprints With Dulce de Leche, Nutella or Jam image

Thumbprints are the simplest of cookies, but these are packed with flavor from freshly toasted nuts, each paired with its own filling: pecans with dulce de leche (or homemade caramel sauce, if you have some on hand), hazelnuts with Nutella, or pistachios with a festive pool of red currant jelly in the center. Choose a single combination, or make a batch of each. These cookies benefit from forming the thumbprint halfway through baking, but if you can't take the heat, let the dough soften a bit and then press the thumbprints into the dough before baking.

Provided by Susan Spungen

Categories     snack, cookies and bars, dessert

Time 1h

Yield 3 dozen cookies

Number Of Ingredients 9

3 ounces/85 grams whole hazelnuts (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons), whole pecans (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons), or whole pistachios (about 2/3 cup)
2 1/4 cups/290 grams all-purpose flour, plus 2 teaspoons
1 cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
2/3 cup/135 grams granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup dulce de leche (for pecan cookies), Nutella (for hazelnut cookies) or red currant jelly (for pistachio cookies), for filling
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts or pecans out on a small baking sheet and cook in oven, shaking several times, until toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. If using hazelnuts, transfer to a bowl to cool, cover with a folded dish towel, then rub off the skins. (No need to toast the pistachios.)
  • Once cooled, transfer the nuts to a food processor, preferably a mini one. Add 2 teaspoons flour and pulse just until nuts are finely ground, being careful not to overprocess.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping bowl as needed. Add egg yolks and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl a few times as needed.
  • Add 1/2 cup ground nuts, the salt and the remaining 2 1/4 cups flour; beat on low speed just until combined, then increase speed and beat until dough starts to clump together. Scrape the bowl and fold a few times to make sure everything is well mixed. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pinch off small pieces of dough the size of a rounded tablespoon (about 20 grams each) and roll the top half of each one in the remaining ground nuts. Place a few inches apart on parchment- or silicone mat-lined baking sheets. Chill in the freezer until firm, about 10 minutes.
  • Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and make a thumbprint in each cookie. Bake until golden brown on the bottom, and nuts are looking toasty but not burned, 6 to 8 minutes longer. Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheets and transfer to wire racks to cool further. While the cookies are still a little warm, fill each one with about 1/2 teaspoon of filling, and cool completely. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

FESTIVE THUMBPRINT COOKIES



Festive Thumbprint Cookies image

These buttery holiday favourites are given a healthy upgrade with whole wheat flour. For a nut-free option, roll in Great Value Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut instead of pecans.Estimated cost: $0.60 per serving. Makes 20 cookies for 10 servings.Tips: If you don't have a food processor, finely chop the pecans by hand and mix all the ingredients together in a bowl to form the dough. Feel free to use any jam or preserve you have on hand too.Brought to you by Walmart.

Provided by Food Network Canada

Categories     bake,christmas,dessert,eggs and dairy,fruit,nuts,snack

Time 40m

Yield 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 Great Value Large Egg, separated
1 cup Great Value Whole Wheat Flour
¼ cup golden yellow sugar, packed
1 tsp Great Value Cinnamon
¼ tsp Great Value Iodized Sea Salt
½ cup Great Value Unsalted Butter, softened
½ tsp Great Value Artificial Vanilla Extract
⅓ cup Our Finest Raspberry Cherry Cranberry Preserve Style Spread
1 package Great Value Pecan Pieces

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C.) Line a baking tray with parchment paper; set aside.
  • In a food processor pulse the pecan pieces until finely chopped. Transfer to a small shallow bowl; set aside. Lightly beat the egg white until frothy in a separate small shallow bowl; set aside.
  • In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt several times to combine. Add butter, egg yolk, and vanilla; blend until smooth dough forms, scraping down the sides several times.
  • Shape dough into 1 Tbsp (15 mL) sized balls. Roll in egg white then chopped pecans. Place 2" (5 cm) apart on prepared baking tray. Bake in centre of preheated oven for 5-6 minutes.
  • Remove cookies from oven; cool 1 minute. Using thumb or the back of a wooden spoon, indent the top of each cookie. Spoon a heaped ½ tsp (2 mL) preserves into each indent. Bake 16-18 minutes longer or until cookies are set. Cool completely on the tray before serving.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Tips:

  • For a classic thumbprint cookie, use a sugar cookie dough and press a thumbprint into the center of each cookie before baking. Fill the thumbprints with your favorite jam or jelly.
  • To make thumbprint cookies with a twist, try using different cookie doughs, such as chocolate chip cookie dough or peanut butter cookie dough. You can also fill the thumbprints with different fillings, such as Nutella, chocolate ganache, or even ice cream.
  • If you don't have a thumb, you can use the back of a spoon or a small cookie cutter to make the thumbprints.
  • Thumbprint cookies can be decorated with sprinkles, nuts, or even edible glitter.
  • Thumbprint cookies are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven, but they can also be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Conclusion

Thumbprint cookies are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that are perfect for any occasion. With a variety of cookie doughs and fillings to choose from, there's a thumbprint cookie for everyone. So next time you're looking for a sweet treat, give thumbprint cookies a try. You won't be disappointed!

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