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Heart Thumbprint Cookies
Soft, buttery thumbprint cookies shaped into hearts and filled with jam, baked until lightly golden.
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Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 48kcal
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 7 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons strawberry jam
Instructions
Prepare the Baking Sheet
- Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Make space in the refrigerator for chilling the filled baking sheet.
Make the Dough
- Beat the softened butter on high speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons salted butter
- Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until fully incorporated.7 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat until smooth.2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Sprinkle the flour and salt evenly over the dough.1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. If crumbly, gently press together with your hands.
Shape the Cookies
- Scoop about 2 teaspoons of dough and roll into a smooth ball.
- Place dough balls evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
- Lightly flour your pinky finger.
- Press one side of each dough ball with your pinky laid sideways to form half of a heart.
- Re-flour and repeat on the opposite side to complete the heart shape.
Fill the Cookies
- Using a ¼ teaspoon measuring spoon, place jam into each side of the heart.6 tablespoons strawberry jam
- Each cookie should contain a total of ½ teaspoon of jam.
Chill
- Refrigerate the cookies on the baking sheet for 1 hour before baking.
- Do not skip this step.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until the bottoms are just beginning to turn lightly golden at the edges.
- Rotate the pan halfway through baking if needed for even browning.
Cool
- Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet before removing.
- Transfer to a serving plate or storage container once fully cooled.
Notes
Common issues
Cookies spread: Dough wasn’t chilled long enough. Return the baking sheet to the refrigerator before baking the next batch.
Dry texture: Cookies baked a minute too long. Pull them sooner; pale tops are fine here.
Jam overflow: Indentations were too shallow or too narrow, or the jam was too loose. Use a thick, spoonable jam and avoid overfilling.
Thickening runny jam
Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth.
Simmer 1 cup of jam, stir in the slurry, and cook 2 to 3 minutes until thickened and clear.
Cool completely before filling cookies; the jam will continue to set as it chills. Ingredient substitutions Raspberry, cherry, or apricot preserves may be used in place of strawberry.
If omitting almond extract, increase vanilla extract to 1½ teaspoons. Serving suggestions Serve with coffee, tea, or sparkling wine.
Well suited for cookie trays, gift boxes, or holiday dessert spreads. Storage Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freezing Baked cookies may be frozen for up to 2 months and thawed at room temperature.
Shaped, unfilled dough can be frozen; thaw, fill with jam, and bake as directed.
Simmer 1 cup of jam, stir in the slurry, and cook 2 to 3 minutes until thickened and clear.
Cool completely before filling cookies; the jam will continue to set as it chills. Ingredient substitutions Raspberry, cherry, or apricot preserves may be used in place of strawberry.
If omitting almond extract, increase vanilla extract to 1½ teaspoons. Serving suggestions Serve with coffee, tea, or sparkling wine.
Well suited for cookie trays, gift boxes, or holiday dessert spreads. Storage Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Freezing Baked cookies may be frozen for up to 2 months and thawed at room temperature.
Shaped, unfilled dough can be frozen; thaw, fill with jam, and bake as directed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cookie | Calories: 48kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 23IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.4mg
*Nutrition information is automatically calculated based on ingredient data and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient options are provided, the first listed is used for calculation. Optional ingredients and garnishes are not included in the nutrition analysis.