Jam thumbprints are buttery almond cookies with a jewel of raspberry jam pressed into each centre. The dough rolls into tiny balls that bake into tender, golden rounds — forty-eight of them from a single batch. They look like the cookie tin at a bakery and take barely any effort at all.
MAKES 48 COOKIES
Ingredients
½ cup raspberry jam (see Fruit Jam Recipe)
2¼ cups almond flour
8 tablespoons (120 ml) coconut flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
12 tablespoons (180 ml) coconut oil, softened
⅔ cup palm sugar
3 ounces coconut milk
1 large egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Preparation
1.В В Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fill a small zipper seal bag with the jam. Whisk almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium bowl.
2.В В In a separate large bowl, beat the coconut oil and palm sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds or until well combined. Beat in the coconut milk, eggs, and vanilla until combined (about 30 seconds), scraping down the bowl and beaters as necessary.
3.В В Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, beating until combined (about 30 seconds).
4.В В Working with 1½ teaspoons at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1½ inches apart. Make an indention in the center of each cookie with your thumb.
5.В В Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they are just beginning to set and are lightly browned around the edges (about 10 minutes). Remove the cookies from the oven and, working quickly, gently reshape the indention with the bottom of a teaspoon. Snip a small corner off the bag of jam and carefully fill each indention with about ½ teaspoon of the jam. Rotate the baking sheet and continue to bake until lightly golden and set, but not hard (12 to 14 minutes).
6.В В Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely (about 30 minutes) before serving.
Making Dough Ahead
The bowl of cookie dough can be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to two days. When ready to use, allow the dough to come to room temperature, then portion and bake as directed. The dough can also be shaped into balls, marked with the thumbprint, and frozen on a cookie sheet. When they are frozen solid, transfer them to a large freezer bag. To bake, arrange the frozen cookies (do not thaw) on large parchment-lined baking sheets and bake about 15 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven, reshape the indention as directed, fill with jam, and return to the oven to finish baking (14 to 19 minutes).
Pro Tips
- Snip a tiny corner off the jam bag and pipe it in — spooning jam into warm indentations is how you end up with smudged, sticky cookies.
- Reshape the thumbprints the moment the trays come out, before filling. The indent puffs up in the oven and a quick press with a teaspoon restores it.
- Coconut flour in the dough keeps the cookies tender but dries quickly — measure it level and don't overbake past lightly golden edges.
- Raspberry jam is classic, but the almond dough welcomes apricot, fig, or blackcurrant equally well for a different jewel each batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What jam works best for thumbprints?
Thick, seedless raspberry or apricot jam holds its shape best. Runny jams spread during baking and blur the neat indented centre.
Can I freeze jam thumbprints?
Freeze the shaped, indented dough and bake from frozen, filling with jam after the first bake as usual. The finished cookies also freeze well for a month.
How do I keep the jam from bubbling over?
Fill only about half a teaspoon per cookie and bake just until the edges set. Overfilled thumbprints lose their jam to the sheet.
How long do they keep?
A week in an airtight tin with parchment between layers. The jam centre keeps them soft right through.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- 1. В В Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350°F.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fill a small zipper seal bag with the jam.
- Whisk almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium bowl. 2. В В In a separate large bowl, beat the coconut oil and palm sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds or until well combined.
- Beat in the coconut milk, eggs, and vanilla until combined (about 30 seconds), scraping down the bowl and beaters as necessary. 3. В В Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, beating until combined (about 30 seconds). 4. В В Working with 1½ teaspoons at a time, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1½ inches apart. Make an indention in the center of each cookie with your thumb. 5. В В Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they are just beginning to set and are lightly browned around the edges (about 10 minutes).
- Remove the cookies from the oven and, working quickly, gently reshape the indention with the bottom of a teaspoon. Snip a small corner off the bag of jam and carefully fill each indention with about ½ teaspoon of the jam. Rotate the baking sheet and continue to bake until lightly golden and set, but not hard (12 to 14 minutes). 6. В В Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely (about 30 minutes) before serving. Making Dough Ahead The bowl of cookie dough can be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to two days.
- When ready to use, allow the dough to come to room temperature, then portion and bake as directed. The dough can also be shaped into balls, marked with the thumbprint, and frozen on a cookie sheet.
- When they are frozen solid, transfer them to a large freezer bag. To bake, arrange the frozen cookies (do not thaw) on large parchment-lined baking sheets and bake about 15 minutes.
- Remove the cookies from the oven, reshape the indention as directed, fill with jam, and return to the oven to finish baking (14 to 19 minutes).
