Nutty Jam Thumbprints
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These Nutty Jam Thumbprints could win a cookie contest on looks alone, but they’re just as delicious as they are pretty.
These nutty jam thumbprints could win a cookie contest on looks alone, but they’re just as delicious as they are pretty. The cookie is actually a Mexican wedding cookie, also known as a Russian tea cake, Viennese crescents or snowball cookies. Nutty and not-too-sweet, these cookies make a wonderful shortbread-like base for a dollop of luscious fruit preserves. The recipe is adapted from Alice Medrich’s award-winning cookie book Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy.
“I’ve made jam thumbprints for many years but your recipe is the best. They’re delicious and beautiful to look at.”
What You’ll Need To Make Nutty Jam Thumbprints
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness. The sugar is blitzed in a food processor to give it a superfine texture; this makes the cookies extra tender.
- All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for the cookies. Measure by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- Pecans: Contribute a nutty flavor and crunchy texture when finely ground.
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture to the dough.
- Vanilla Extract: Infuses the dough with a warm, aromatic flavor.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Used for dusting the cookies, adding a touch of sweetness and visual appeal.
- Jam, Jelly, or Preserves: Provides a sweet and fruity filling in the center of each cookie. You can use any jam or jelly you like. I love Bonne Maman strawberry, raspberry, four fruit or apricot. Chocolate will work too; for chocolate lovers, try Nutella or chocolate ganache.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
The most tender wedding cookies are made with superfine sugar, so begin by pulsing the granulated sugar in a food processor until it is fine and powdery.
Next, add the flour, salt, and pecans.
Process the mixture until the nuts are finely ground.
Add the butter.
Then pulse until the mixture comes together.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Roll the dough into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Use the handle of a wooden spoon to press an indentation about 3/4 of the way down into the center of each ball (you could also use your thumb but a wooden spoon works much better).
Bake for 22-24 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a rack. Let the cookies cool slightly, then dust them generously with powdered sugar.
Fill the cookies using a tiny spoon or the tips of teaspoon handles.
That’s all there is to it. Such beauties!
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Nutty Jam Thumbprints
These Nutty Jam Thumbprints could win a cookie contest on looks alone, but they’re just as delicious as they are pretty.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups pecans
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut unto 1-inch chunks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
- ½ cup favorite jam, jelly or preserves (best quality, such as Bonne Maman)
Instructions
- Put the granulated sugar in the food processor and process until it is fine and powdery, about 30 seconds. (Be sure to cover the feed tube so the powder doesn’t float out.)
- Add the flour, salt and pecans and pulse until the nuts are finely ground.
- Add the butter and vanilla and process until the mixture looks damp and comes together. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.
- Position racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Use the tip of a wooden spoon handle to press an indentation about ¾ of the way down into the center of each ball (twist slightly to release; if the handle sticks, dip it in flour). Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or until lightly colored on top and golden brown on the bottom. (If your oven cooks unevenly, rotate cookies from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through baking time.)
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Using a sieve, dust cookies with confectioners’ sugar. Use a tiny spoon or the tip of a teaspoon handle to fill with jam, jelly or preserves.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The Cookie Dough can be Frozen for up to 3 Months: Roll the dough into balls, let set on a baking sheet in the freezer, then place in a sealable bag and press out as much air as possible. Bake as needed directly from the freezer. (Allow 1 to 2 minutes longer in the oven.) To Freeze After Baking: Let the cookies cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature. (For best results, add the jam after defrosting.)
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 90
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Sodium: 26 mg
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Forgot to rate the recipe. Five stars, of course!
I stole the idea from another site of using a clean chapstick tube to make the indentations. Worked perfectly!
Wonderful! Love the ease of making in the food processor.
Just baked these cookies! Excellent texture and flavor! Such a huge crowd pleaser and they’re beautiful.
Thank you, Jenn!
You have no idea how good these are until you make these! They literally melt in your mouth. So buttery and crumbly in a wonderful way! I used raspberry, apricot and blueberry preserves with blueberry and raspberry being my favorites. These are my husband’s favorite cookies of any I’ve ever made. They are so pretty and shockingly so EASY! Try them!
Thank you for this fantastic recipe. My grandchildren visit us 4 times a year. Each and EVERY time, before they come, they ask me to have these Thumbprints ready for them. I can not say enough about them, they are gone before I can say boo!
Hi Jenn,
HELP! I have made several of your cookie recipes thus far. Your recipes turn out so well! Although I love to bake I’m not a great baker. Your recipes make me a more confident baker. So confident that I doubled this recipe!!! They are VERY buttery. I don’t think I have enough flour. The one trial tray I baked did spread alot. Is there anything I can do to ‘fix’ the rest of the dough?
Hi Monika, As you can see from the photos, these cookies should hold their shape pretty well in the oven. Is it possible that you didn’t double all of the ingredients? If you think you measured everything correctly, try refrigerating the dough balls for 30 minutes (or freezing for 15 min) before baking. It may just be that your dough is too warm. If that doesn’t work, you can try adding a bit more flour.
The jam I would really like to use (raspberry rose) is a little looser as the company puts less sugar in them. Could I fill the imprints before baking to firm the jam up a little? I assume that this will leave me with a couple leaky ones that I, tragically, will have to sacrificially eat instead of giving away. I’m just hoping that they wouldn’t ALL fail.
LOL! I think it should be fine but I would suggest baking a few cookies first to see how they hold up, just to be safe.
Thank you Jen for another fantastic recipe. I made my first batch today. After reading other comments I took the dough out of the refrigerator 30mn before rolling them and found they were very easy to handle. They turned out looking good even though 1/2 the batch was rolled and the indentation made by my 4 year old.
I will definitely make more for the holidays.
I enjoyed them. But they seemed a little to crumbly? When I made the indentation for the jam they started to crack. They didn’t look as beautiful as yours. Any advice?
Hi Sofia, I think the dough was probably too cold. Next time, work it a bit with your hands to warm it up.