Melt-in-the-mouth Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies with lemon flavor are our favorite cookies right now.
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What are Thumbprint Cookies?
Thumbprint cookies are called that way because you press into a ball of raw cookie dough with your thumb to create a crater. The cookies are then filled with jelly or jam and baked.
They originated in Sweden, where they are called Hallongrottor, which means raspberry cave. The classic cookies are flavored with vanilla and filled with raspberry jam.
Thumbprint cookies are also super popular in neighboring Scandinavian countries, in Germany, Austria, Italy, and Alsace (France).
We call them Kulleraugen (translated as running eyes) in German, and my grandmother would make them every year again in Austria before Christmas.
Original raspberry thumbprint cookies are shortbread cookies. They call Mör or Mördeg in Swedish and Mürbteig in German.
I flavor mine with lemon zest or lemon extract instead of vanilla because I think raspberry and lemon is the ultimate flavor combination.
Process Overview
You will rejoice because these are the easiest cookies to make out there.
No rolling out, no shaping and breaking, just pure Christmas baking fun!
Step 1
Add the flour, powdered sugar and salt to a mixing bowl and combine.
Make a well in the center and add in the lemon extract, egg yolk, and butter.
Step 2
Crumble wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
Combine to a smooth dough and wrap in cling film.
Place it into the fridge to cool.
Step 3
Unwrap cold, hardened dough and cut into pieces.
Roll each piece into a small ball and place on a baking sheet.
Step 4
Make a hole with your thumb into each ball and fill it with jelly.
Bake your cookies.
📖 Recipe
Lemon Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 11 ounce All-purpose Flour
- 3.5 ounce Powdered Sugar (aka confectioners sugar)
- Lemon Extract a few drops or a pinch of zest
- 7 ounce Butter
- 1 Egg Yolk
- Salt pinch
- 6 Tablespoon Raspberry Jelly
Instructions
- Place all-purpose flour, powdered sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Combine the dry ingredients.
- Make a well in the center and add in the lemon extract, egg yolk and butter.
- Crumble the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients so that your ingredients start to get combined.
- Continue to combine and create a smooth dough.
- Wrap into cling film and keep to cool in the fridge. Keep at least 30 minutes to cool so that the dough gets hard.
- Take out the dough from a cling film and cut into same-sized chunks. Don't make them too large.
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit/ 180° Celsius.
- Roll each chunk of dough into a ball and place on a parchment-lined baking tray. Keep some distance between each ball.
- Create a crater with your thumb by pressing into each cookie dough.
- Fill the cookies with raspberry jelly or jam.
- Bake at 350° Fahrenheit/ 180° Celsius.
- Allow your cookies to cool and store them afterward in a parchment-lined tin box.
Notes
Nutrition
Storing
Keep the cookies out to cool right after baking.
Line a tin box with parchment paper and place your cookies carefully into the box over each other.
Place another sheet of parchment paper fitting over the cookies and close with the lids.
Store in a cool and dry place.
If your cookies are getting too dry (this happens in a dry and cold environment), then place the peel of an apple over the parchment paper.
If you live in a tropically hot and humid climate, store your cookies in an airtight container to prevent them from getting soggy and spoiled.
Variations
Besides lemon-flavored raspberry thumbprint cookies, you can make your own by pepping up your flavor options.
Classic thumbprint cookies are flavored with vanilla extract instead of lemon.
Switch the raspberry jelly with another jelly of your choice, such as Red Currant Jelly or even Lingonberry Jam.
You can use other jellies too, such as apple jelly, quince jelly or black currant jelly, but I recommend a colorful, bright red or pink jelly because your cookies will look all the better.
Or how about you flavor your dough to your liking by adding one of the following ingredients:
- Orange zest or orange extract
- Cardamom Spice Powder
- Bitter Almond Extract
You can also switch the sugar with a special brown sugar or sugar cane sugar.
FAQs
Yes, you can freeze your thumbprint cookie dough once you have prepared a smooth dough. Wrap it in cling film and store it in the freezer until you intend to use it. Allow it to thaw completely before using it.
When pressing into the ball with your thumb, the cookies can crack a bit at the edges (which is normal). To reduce cracking, work with the dough at room temperature (leave it out after cooling for 10-15 minutes), and the more gently you press in with your thumb, the fewer cracks will appear.
Thumbprint cookies always spread a bit, and that's normal. Yet, there is an amount of normal spreading that occurs; too much isn't good. The cookies are made of butter and sugar, and when hot, these ingredients get soft. To avoid too much spreading of your cookies, always cool dough first and then shape and bake at the correct temperature of 350 Fahrenheit/180 Celsius.
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