Best 6 Thumbprint Cookie Icing Recipes

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In the world of sweet treats, thumbprint cookies hold a special place, captivating taste buds with their delectable filling peeking through a delicate shortbread crust. The perfect complement to these gems lies in the icing, where creativity reigns supreme. Whether you prefer a classic glaze or a decadent ganache, a zesty lemon filling or a burst of chocolate, the possibilities are endless. Embark on a culinary journey as we explore the realm of thumbprint cookie icing, uncovering the secrets to transforming these cookies from simple to extraordinary.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

ICED THUMBPRINT COOKIES



Iced Thumbprint Cookies image

Even Santa's littlest helper can help make these cookies.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes     Cookie Recipes

Yield Makes about 4 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 9

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons whole milk
Pink food coloring

Steps:

  • Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix in flour, salt, and pecans. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls, and space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Press thumb into center of each cookie. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven; press centers with the end of a wooden spoon. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets.
  • Stir together confectioners' sugar and milk; tint pink. Fill centers with icing. Let set overnight.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES WITH ICING AND NUTS



Thumbprint Cookies with Icing and Nuts image

A shortbread-like cookie covered with chopped pecans and filled with marbleized icing for a festive look

Provided by Paula Rhodes

Categories     Cookies

Time 57m

Number Of Ingredients 12

1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg (separated)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour (120 grams)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup pecans (finely chopped)
1/2 tablespoon butter (melted)
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk
Food Coloring

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cream shortening, butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. Add flour and salt. Combine well.
  • Roll dough into balls. Using a small ice cream dipper will aid in uniformity.
  • Beat egg white slightly with a fork. Dip balls in egg white, then roll in chopped pecans.
  • Place balls on an ungreased baking sheet, (I use a silicone baking mat) about 1 inch apart.
  • Place in your preheated oven for 3 minutes.
  • Remove cookies from the oven and use a small cork or your finger to gently press an indentation into the center of each cookie. Bake for an additional 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are set. Remove from the oven and immediately use a cork or your finger to repress the indentation into the middle of the cookies.
  • Make the icing while cookies bake. Add color using the process described above. Or leave the icing uncolored. Or stir in food coloring to make a uniform color. It's your preference. Many people do jelly--but not at my house.

Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 2 cookies, Calories 188 kcal, Carbohydrate 20 g, Protein 2 g, Fat 12 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, Cholesterol 22 mg, Sodium 81 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 13 g, TransFat 1 g, UnsaturatedFat 7 g

THUMBPRINT COOKIE ICING



Thumbprint Cookie Icing image

This is the fabulous icing that makes these cookies one of my favorite to make and eat. It compliments the savory flavor of the cookie quite nicely.

Provided by Moonwych1313

Categories     Dessert

Time 5m

Yield 36-60 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 4

1 cup powdered sugar
2 -3 tablespoons Crisco
1 -4 teaspoon water, just enough to make it spreadable
1 teaspoon vanilla

Steps:

  • Combine powdered sugar and crisco.
  • Add vanilla and mix thoroughly.
  • Add water one teaspoonful at a time in order to achieve a spreadable consistency.
  • Use your favorite food colorings and fill the wells of the cookies.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES WITH ICING



Thumbprint Cookies with Icing image

These Thumbprint Cookies with Icing are perfect for the holidays- buttery shortbread cookies topped with a sweet icing and festive sprinkles.

Provided by Kelly Hamilton

Categories     Dessert

Time 25m

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk (at room temperature )
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
2 cups powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
2-4 tbsp milk (use as needed)
food coloring (I used red & green)
sprinkles

Steps:

  • Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and egg yolk, mixing until combined. Lastly, mix in the flour until a dough forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. It will seem crumbly at first but continue mixing and the dough will come together.
  • Scoop and roll 1 tbsp of dough into balls and place onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Gently press your thumb or the back of a measuring spoon into the middle of the ball.
  • Bake cookies for 13-15 minutes, until the cookies are set and the bottoms are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and using the back of a round measuring spoon, gently press the indent back down. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then carefully transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 137 kcal, Carbohydrate 19 g, Protein 1 g, Fat 6 g, SaturatedFat 4 g, TransFat 1 g, Cholesterol 23 mg, Sodium 2 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 12 g, UnsaturatedFat 3 g, ServingSize 1 serving

THUMBPRINT COOKIES



Thumbprint Cookies image

Fill the "print" in each nut-crunchy goodie with a dollop of sparkling Christmas red or green jelly, a candied cherry or pastel-tinted frosting.

Provided by Liz Zzzz

Categories     Dessert

Time 30m

Yield 3 dozen cookies

Number Of Ingredients 9

1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup gold medal flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
jelly

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 350°.
  • Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla.
  • Work in flour and salt until dough holds together.
  • Shape dough by teaspoonfuls into 1-inch balls.
  • Beat egg white slightly.
  • Dip each dough ball into egg white; roll in nuts.
  • Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet; press thumb deeply in center of each.
  • Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown.
  • Immediately remove from baking sheet.
  • Cool; fill thumbprint with jelly.
  • *Ifusing self-rising flour, omit salt.
  • Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies: Substitute ½ cup granulated sugar for ¼ cup brown sugar; add 1 ounce melted unsweetened chocolate (cool) with the vanilla.

PERFECT THUMBPRINT COOKIES



Perfect Thumbprint Cookies image

My mother, Pauline, made really nice thumbprint cookies, but I never wrote down her recipe. I knew the ingredients, but unless you have the right proportions, you won't get that perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture. So, I did an image search and found a recipe that looked very similar, credited to a great-grandma named Mitzi. Since my last name is Mitzewich, that pretty much sealed the deal. In case you can't decide between a shortbread-focused cookie and a more jammy one, here's how to make both.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     Desserts     Cookies     Thumbprint Cookie Recipes

Time 50m

Yield 20

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅓ cup unsifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon fine salt
1 large egg yolk
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup white sugar, or as needed
½ cup fruit jam, divided
1 cup powdered sugar, or as needed
1 tablespoon milk, or as needed

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  • Mix butter and powdered sugar together with a rubber spatula until creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and egg yolk. Mix with the spatula. Add flour and blend until just combined.
  • Use a sorbet scoop to portion dough into 1/2-ounce (1-tablespoon) balls. Roll balls in a plate of white sugar to coat; roll again between your palms. Place several inches apart on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Flatten balls lightly with your fingers.
  • To make shortbread cookies with a little jam, poke a well into each cookie using the end of a thick wooden spoon dusted with powdered sugar or using one of your fingers. Fill cookies with fruit jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until tops are barely blonde and bottoms are slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before icing.
  • Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar with a little milk until you have a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. Pipe icing on top of cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
  • For a more jam-forward cookie, press your thumb into the cookies to make large, shallow indentations. Spoon in jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter.
  • Bake until not quite golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let rest on pan for 5 minutes before transferring a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 138.9 calories, Carbohydrate 22.8 g, Cholesterol 22.5 mg, Fat 4.9 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Sodium 33.2 mg, Sugar 15.1 g

Tips:

  • Use a piping bag for precise icing: A piping bag fitted with a small round tip will give you the most control over the icing and help you create neat and even thumbprints.
  • Chill the dough before baking: Chilling the dough before baking will help the cookies hold their shape and prevent them from spreading too much.
  • Don't overbake the cookies: Thumbprint cookies are best when they are slightly underbaked, so keep a close eye on them in the oven.
  • Let the cookies cool completely before filling them: This will help prevent the icing from melting.
  • Be creative with your filling: You can use any type of filling you like in your thumbprint cookies, from classic jams and jellies to chocolate ganache or even peanut butter.

Conclusion:

Thumbprint cookies are a classic and delicious treat that are perfect for any occasion. They are easy to make and can be customized to your liking with a variety of fillings. With these tips, you can make perfect thumbprint cookies every time.

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