Description
Ina Garten’s jam thumbprint cookies blend buttery shortbread with sweet raspberry preserves for an irresistible classic dessert. Delicate and elegant, these cookies offer a perfect balance of rich pastry and fruity filling that delights home bakers and guests alike.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 ½ cups (875 ml) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ lb (340 g or 3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 7 oz (198 g) sweetened flaked coconut
- ½ cup raspberry and/or apricot jam
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water, for egg wash
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 350°F with rack centered, ensuring even heat distribution for optimal cookie baking.
- Creaming: Whip unsalted butter and granulated sugar using electric mixer until light and fluffy, then blend in pure vanilla extract for enhanced flavor profile.
- Dry Ingredients: Sift all-purpose flour and fine salt together, creating a smooth, lump-free foundation for the cookie dough.
- Dough Formation: Incorporate flour mixture into butter blend at low speed, gently mixing until a cohesive dough emerges. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes to solidify texture.
- Shaping: Roll chilled dough into uniform balls, then dip each in beaten egg wash and completely coat with shredded coconut for a crisp, golden exterior.
- Thumbprint Creation: Arrange coconut-covered balls on ungreased baking sheet, gently pressing a small indentation into the center of each cookie using fingertip.
- Jam Filling: Carefully drop fruit jam into the created wells, ensuring even distribution and avoiding overflow.
- Baking: Slide baking sheet into preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until coconut turns a rich golden brown, signaling perfect doneness.
- Cooling: Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely, enabling jam to set and flavors to meld.
Notes
- Chill Dough Strategically: Refrigerating the dough for 30 minutes helps prevent spreading and maintains the cookie’s structured shape during baking.
- Handle Egg Wash Carefully: Ensure even coconut coating by gently rolling each dough ball in egg wash, preventing clumping and ensuring uniform coverage.
- Create Perfect Thumbprint: Use the tip of your finger or the back of a small measuring spoon to make a consistent, gentle indentation without breaking the dough.
- Jam Selection Matters: Choose high-quality, thick preserves that won’t run during baking, such as raspberry or apricot, to maintain the cookie’s elegant appearance.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg