As I pulled these miniature thumbprint cookies out of the oven, a very vivid memory flooded through my mind. When I was in grade 6, I ran for a student council-like role in my elementary school. My parents and I made piles of badges and posters, and my friends helped me adorn every unsuspecting student with a badge that read “Vote for Dara!” I was running against two other girls, who put just as much effort into rallying the troops as I did. Finally, the day came to stand up in front of the school and “wow” them with our rah-rah spirit and public speaking prowess. Did I mention we were 11 years old? I was slated to speak last and, as I impatiently waited my turn, butterflies did a very ungraceful dance around my stomach. Over the previous days, I practiced my speech multiple times so that I would not have to look at my cue cards, and proudly ended each practice run with a confident “Remember, good things come in small packages!” (I was certain that I was the author of that clever little line.) The first girl stood up to deliver her speech, stuttered through it nervously and, to my horror, ended her speech with my “small packages” line. Everything went downhill from there. The second girl ended her speech with the same line. Flustered and embarrassed, I stumbled through my well-rehearsed words and practically whispered my closing line to a smattering of applause.
Despite the botched speech and that infamous line running through my head to haunt me, I do in fact believe that good things really do come in small packages. These cookies, fresh with lemon zest and filled with sweet cherry jam, are no exception. The cookie portion has the texture of shortbread, while the filling takes on a lovely sticky consistency when baked. The ingredients list is short and kids have a ball helping to make the indentations in the dough. Serve these alongside Berry Tea Cookies and you have an impressive presentation for afternoon tea.
The recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly coat two baking sheets with cooking spray. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl, using a hand mixer), beat together room temperature butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Next, beat in egg yolks, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and salt until combined. Lower the speed of the mixer to low and add all-purpose flour in two additions. Beat until moist clumps of dough form.
Using your hands or a rubber spatula, press the dough together. Using 2 teaspoons of dough for each cookie, form the dough into balls. Place the balls of dough on prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Using the round portion of a 1/4-teaspoon measure, make a deep indentation in each ball.
Fill each indentation with cherry jam. Fill until just below the lip of the indentation. If you fill it too high, the jam will come bubbling out during baking.
Bake the cookies until firm to the touch and golden on the bottom, 9 to 11 minutes, switching the baking sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then remove with a metal spatula and cool on wire cooling racks.
If not serving immediately, store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight containers.
Other cookies with jam:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Berry Tea Cookies
Pinch My Salt’s Whole Wheat Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Blue Kitchen’s Hazelnut Rosemary Jam Cookies
Lemon & Cherry Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
4 tbsp grated lemon peel
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tbsp (approximately) good-quality cherry jam
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly coat two baking sheets with cooking spray. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl, using a hand mixer), beat together room temperature butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Next, beat in egg yolks, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and salt until combined. Lower the speed of the mixer to low and add all-purpose flour in two additions. Beat until moist clumps of dough form. Using your hands or a rubber spatula, press the dough together. Using 2 teaspoons of dough for each cookie, form the dough into balls. Place the balls of dough on prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Using the round portion of a 1/4-teaspoon measure, make a deep indentation in each ball. Fill each indentation with cherry jam. Fill until just below the lip of the indentation. If you fill it too high, the jam will come bubbling out during baking.
Bake the cookies until firm to the touch and golden on the bottom, 9 to 11 minutes, switching the baking sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then remove with a metal spatula and cool on wire cooling racks.
If not serving immediately, store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight containers.
Makes about 36 cookies.
Printable recipe
Emily Malloy
1. Lovin' the new format!
2. These cookies are heavenly!
Jenny
Adorable cookies Dara! Love them and could eat way too many!
Tracy
I love thumbprint cookies! Yum!
marla {family fresh cooking}
These are such cute thumbprint cookies. Agreed great things do come in teeny tiny packages. So psyched to meet you in a few days! xo
Evan @swEEts
I love thumbprint cookies 🙂 I've been looking for a good recipe to use up some of the fab jam I received at the jam exchange! thanks!!
warmvanillasugar
I love these little guys! They're so cute!
Michelle
I love making Thumbprint cookies. So fun to make and always so pretty!
My Kitchen in the Rockies
My daughters favorite cookies. I have to bake them on her birthday, so she can take them to school and share with her friends.
Yours look delicious!
All That I'm Eating
Oh these look so cute! Perfect with a nice cup of tea. I bet they tasted lovely.
Barbara | VinoLuciStyle
I love this type of cookie and certainly the addition of lemon makes them even more impressive. But two things.
Not fair. No end to the story?
And…I have never made them with a spoon; actually always making that indent with my…tada…thumbprint!
That being said; these are much more to my liking…being a woman of order and all so will have to try using a measuring spoon next time!
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It’s great to read something that’s both enjoyable and provides pragmatisdc solutions.
levitra
That’s really shrewd! Good to see the logic set out so well.
Nancy
Hi Dara,
Loved the story about your first foray into politics!!! These cookies bring back very happy memories for me – I remember making very similar cookies with my grandmother. I had forgotten about them and now am eager to make some – will have to use your recipe as I love lemon!
GreenGirl
Your thumbprint cookies look so adorable, perfect on a warm afternoon while reading a book on my front porch
Belinda @zomppa
Being not on the tall end, I agree! I can imagine how adorable you were! Like these cookies.
penny aka jeroxie
beautiful cookies!
♥The Sweet Life♥
This recipe looks soo good!! I love your blog! I am your newest follower!
Drick
now a plateful of these would be a great big package for me – love a good shortbread cookie and with the sweet filling, these are perfect
Robyn
Oh these cookies look delicious, Dara. Perfect bite size treats!
Robyn
Oh these cookies look delicious, Dara. Perfect bite size treats!
Jane
These look SO GOOD! I love thumbprint cookies!
The Klutzy Cook
These are a version of what we call Jam Drops in Australia. They look (and taste) delicious.
Mama Mel
OMG! I just made some of these (a little different from your recipe), and they are DELICIOUS! I used half all-purpose flour and half whole-wheat flour, and instead of cherry jam, I used raspberry. SOOOO yummy! I think they are my new favorite cookie! 🙂 Thanks so much!
Pam
Perfection!..Yumm!
Dara
Imagine my surprise when I clicked on this pin, started reading and discovered we share the same first name! There aren’t many of us out there. Pleased to “meet” you and I can’t wait to make these cookies!