This popular cookie is also known as hallongrotta, which means "raspberry cave" in Swedish can also be filled with many other delicious confections just check out my yummy options below.
They have also been called bird's nest cookies, jam biscuits, raspberry butterballs, and Polish tea cakes, and they are believed to have originated in the 19th century.
This easy recipe is more a buttery shortbread with a wonderful surprise center then dusted at the end with a snowy powdered sugar.
They make the perfect addition to any Christmas cookie tray around the holiday season with the festive red center.
We enjoy all kinds of cookies and make several different kinds for the holiday season we call it the One Stop Cookie Shop of recipes you may like to try.
The cookie literally tastes great by itself but we love an assortment of fillings to make the prettiest colorful cookie tray you'll ever feast your eyes on.
Scroll down to my printable recipe card for this melt-in-your-mouth simple cookie recipe.
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
If you love raspberry jam this is going to rock your world.
This cookie is the first one to fly off a cookie holiday tray and so pretty.
Plain and simple and so easily changed to another flavor with just one dough.
The recipe really only makes a small batch of 28 cookies so make a double batch you won't be sorry!
Other Additions:
- lemon, mint, rum, anise, almond, orange, maple, or another extract you like in place of vanilla
- fill the center with Nutella
- add toffee chips, mini chocolate chips, and coconut to the center
- minced maraschino cherries and coconut, chopped walnuts, and mini chocolate chips
- coconut shredded with red and green chopped candied cherries
- caramels chopped, pecans and coconut
- pistachios, macadamia nuts, pecan, walnuts, or for nut allergies pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds mixed with cinnamon and sugar
- whole cloves in the center
- zest from lemon or oranges added to the dough lemon curd filling
- chopped dried fruits
- minced cranberries, dates, figs, or raisins with cinnamon /sugar mixed with nuts
- cherry, peach, apricot, blackberry, mint, fig, blueberry, strawberry, pineapple jams or another one you love
Shopping List (scroll down for exact measurements)
- sugar
- vanilla
- butter
- flour
- salt
- baking powder
- egg
- garnish with powdered sugar seedless jam of any kind
- Optional: other flavored extracts, zest of lemon or oranges, coconut, nuts, assorted flavored chocolate chips
Tips
- measure exactly
- always use a cooled cookie sheet
- make sure the butter is at room temperature and do not microwave
- never use margarine
- always refrigerate the dough to reduce spreading
- cookies can be dipped in egg white and rolled in nuts if you prefer or sugar before baking
- always preheat the oven
- use flour on your finger to make an indentation for the jam well in the center of the cookie before baking
- I roll these into balls and refrigerate for 2 hours then add the thumbprint in the middle fill with jam and bake
More Recipes To Try:
Banana Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Chocolate Spice Cookies
Old Fashioned Buttermilk Cookies
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Favorite Fillings
If you have suggestions and other favorite fillings, we would love you to share them in our comment section.
The cookie is simple to make and basic it's super delicious and pretty much a foolproof recipe that will never fail you.
There are plenty of recipes out there for thumbprints I have tried but I always come back to mom's tried and true recipes I have had hers since the early 1960s.
Yield: 24
Jam Thumbprints
Buttery little gems called thumbprint cookies. These are filled with your favorite jam in the middle of a buttery cookie crust.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min
Ingredients
- Measure the ingredients below exactly:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup butter (1- 1/2 sticks) softened
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- Garnish powdered sugar in a shaker
- Jam of choice you will need around
Instructions
- Preheat 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl in set aside.
- Using a clean bowl, add the butter and sugar and whip using an electric beater for 5 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients until evenly mixed.
- Roll into balls (or use a melon ball-size scoop) to make them even in size adding them to the parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Make an indentation with your index finger in the center of each ball.
- Fill each center with around 3/4 teaspoon of your favorite jam.
- Bake them just until the edges start to turn brown around 15 minutes.
- Cool completely.
- Cookies can be frozen for up to 1 month in a sealed container.
Notes
Other Additions:
- lemon, mint, rum, anise, almond, orange, maple, or another extract you like in place of vanilla
- fill the center with Nutella
- add toffee chips, mini chocolate chips, and coconut to the center
- minced maraschino cherries and coconut, chopped walnuts, and mini chocolate chips
- coconut shredded with red and green chopped candied cherries
- caramels chopped, pecans and coconut
- pistachios, macadamia nuts, pecan, walnuts, or for nut allergies pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds mixed with cinnamon and sugar
- whole cloves in the center
- zest from lemon or oranges added to the dough lemon curd filling
- chopped dried fruits
- minced cranberries, dates, figs, or raisins with cinnamon /sugar mixed with nuts
- cherry, peach, apricot, blackberry, mint, fig, blueberry, strawberry, pineapple jams or another one you love
These are all copyright-protected images and content. Do not reprint/reuse this recipe or its images without my written permission.
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Here are more of our favorite cookie recipes:
24 One-Stop Cookie Shop
25 Holiday Cookies
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2010. It was edited and re-published in 2021.