Almond Thumbprint Cookies are super easy to make, super cute, and SUPER yummy. Imagine eating crunchy, buttery Almond Shortbread filled with a sweet-sour raspberry jam. They’re absolutely delicious and disappear way too fast! These cookies are the perfect Valentine’s day dessert.
Update 2021: I still love these Cookies!
This recipe was the second or third recipe I ever published on Crazy Kitchen. Can you believe Crazy Kitchen is one year old already? I certainly can’t!
I still remember making these cookies and being so excited about how my recipe development was so successful. I was on a total food blogging-high and super inspired! This was before Corona had hit the world – it was right about the time where China went into their lockdown and the word ( and virus …) started to spread.
Anyways, as I am slowly starting to prepare for my final exams in the summer and my time is more and more limited, I thought I would rather re-shoot an old recipe and finish the blog post in an adequate amount of time than figuring out a new recipe, shooting it, writing up the blog post, etc. Because my blog is bilingual, I invest a huge amount of time into translating the recipes and blog posts.
Re-shooting a recipe and updating the blog post ever so slightly is something I’ve never done before (yeah, I’m still a young & new food blogger, don’t start a discussion! :)), so this recipe has the honour!
I tweaked the recipe amounts a tiny bit, but the cookies still taste as fantastic as ever. And of course, I much prefer the photos now than to what I originally published. Head to my Instagram account to see what the old photos looked like …
Where do Thumbprint Cookies come from?
These cookies actually come from Sweden. Ever heard of Hallongrotta/Hallongrottor? Now you have 🙂 The name translates to “Raspberry Cave”. Makes sense, right? You make a little mold in the cookie (like a cave) with your thumb (hence the name), and then fill that mold with the raspberry jam. Or use any other jam/curd/hazelnut-spread – options are endless! Apricot, strawberry, and raspberry jam are my favorite options. I used a raspberry passionfruit jam, which was really fantastic too!
When remaking this recipe in 2021, I used some red currant jam I had left-over from Christmas. Red currant jam is a classic Linzer Cookies filling – check out that blog post if you want to make those cookies, too!
I think these Almond Thumbprint Cookies with red currant jam are my new favourite version. I definitely loved the ones with raspberry and apricot, and I know strawberry would taste delicious too. But with red currant jam … oh my. If you get a hold of red currant jam, TRY IT.
Please add the jam before you bake the cookies. If you make molds but don’t bake the cookies with the filling, you just need to add the jam really quickly after baking. I love how the jam “melts” and sometimes runs over the edges of the cookies. So just bake the cookies with the jam, okay? Okay.
Simple, but scrumptious
Thumbprint Cookies are painfully simple to make and bake. I suggest weighing all your ingredients and making them ready in little bowls. It saves you a lot of time from running around in your kitchen and looking for ingredients. Then the recipe wouldn’t be so simple anymore!!
And hey: no chilling required! 🙂
The Secret Ingredient
Yes, there’s a secret ingredient IN the cookies too! Actually … there are TWO! Otherwise, these cookies wouldn’t be magical enough to serve on Valentine’s day …
When I was testing the recipe, my thoughts were something like „These cookies taste great already. But they need to reach a higher level of „WOW-ness“”. So I tweaked the recipe and ended up by first adding only almond extract, and in the second round of testing I then also went on to add finely ground almonds. Absolute game-changer!
You can omit the finely ground almonds, but be aware that the dough will be sticky and you need to add some more flour (start in 20 g intervals, and if it stiffens but still is on the wet side, add another 10 g).
If you make these Almond Thumbprint Cookies, please leave me a comment and rate the recipe! 🙂 And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram and Facebook.
You might also like …
- If you like fruit in your baked goods (aka jam), you will also love vegetables! Check out my best Swiss Carrot Cake recipe – super moist and delicious!
- If you need another Valentine’s Day Dessert, I strongly suggest making these Maple Pecan Bars. Your date/spouse/partner/significant other/friends/family will fall in love with you right away.
Valentine’s Day Almond Thumbprint Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 30 Cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Buttery, crunchy Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies filled with a sweet-sour raspberry jam. Super yummy!
Ingredients
- 250 g flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 70 g finely ground almonds
- 170 g butter
- 50 g white sugar
- 50 g (light) brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract/sugar
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- raspberry jam (or any other jam, for instance red currant, apricot or cherry jam)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160°C convection oven (otherwise 180°C, or 355°F)
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and the finely ground almonds.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract. Beat until well incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients in two to three batches and incorporate well.
- If the dough is too wet, add flour in 20 (or 10 g) intervals.
- Form balls that weigh between 15 and 25 g, depending on how big you want your cookies. Use your thumb or any other finger (or a spoon) to make little indents.
- Optional: roll in brown sugar.
- Place the unfilled cookies on your baking pan. Pour some jam into the “caves”. Don’t add too much, but enough to actually taste the jam when baked.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until the cookies have puffed up slightly, and the edges are golden brown.
- Let cool for at least 10 minutes (room temperature thumbprint cookies are the best!). Enjoy!
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