The BEST Jam Thumbprint Cookies (Simple, Classic, Versatile!)
Jam Thumbprint Cookies are simple and classic cookies that are lightly sweet with an almost shortbread-like texture, a versatile coating of toasty coconut or chopped pecans, and a fruity center of your favorite jelly or jam!
1 ½cupsfinely chopped pecanswalnuts, or your favorite nut (*see NOTES below for coconut variation)
Your favorite seedless jam or jellyabout ¼ cup
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until creamy. Separate eggs, placing whites in a small bowl, lightly beating, and setting aside. Add yolks to butter mixture and blend in. Add vanilla and beat until well incorporated. Gradually mix flour mixture into butter mixture, blending thoroughly but taking care not to over-mix.
Pour finely chopped nuts into a bowl. Roll cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Dip each ball in beaten egg whites and then roll in nuts, gently pressing to coat. Space cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
Use your thumb or bowl of a small measuring spoon to make an indentation in the top of each cookie. Use a ½-teaspoon measuring spoon to carefully fill each indentation with jam. Bake cookies for 13 to 16 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
I use a food processor (or blender) to grind my pecans into tiny pieces, since it's quicker and easier than chopping nuts finely with a knife. Just be careful not to go too far or you'll make nut butter!
For a crunchier coating, I recommend toasting your nuts and allowing them to cool before chopping/grinding them. (To toast pecans, spread on a sheet pan and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until fragrant and lightly toasted.)
Instead of nuts, you may roll your cookies in shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened). You'll probably need between 1 ½ and 2 cups of coconut to coat a batch of these cookies. You can also roll cookies in a mixture of half nuts, half coconut.
I almost always make a double batch of these cookies since they quickly disappear. It takes only a little more time and effort to make twice as many cookies once you already have all of the ingredients and supplies out!
My favorite flavors of jam to use in this recipe are seedless raspberry, seedless blackberry, strawberry, and peach, but I think just about any flavor of jam/jelly/preserves would be great (as long as it's not too chunky).