Lydie's Thumbprints

Thumbprint cookies are one of those holiday staples that never go out of style. This version uses a rich, shortbread-like dough of creamed butter and sugar with sifted flour, vanilla, and finely chopped nuts. Roll them into walnut-sized balls, press your thumb into the center, fill with your favorite jelly or preserves, and bake until just set.

The dough is deliberately low on sugar. Just three tablespoons for the whole batch means the cookie itself is mild and buttery, letting the jam filling be the sweet, fruity focal point. The recipe specifically calls for real butter, not margarine, and it makes a real difference in flavor and texture.

A roll in powdered sugar after baking gives each cookie a snowy finish that looks beautiful on a cookie platter and adds a whisper of sweetness to the outside.

Pro Tips

• Use real butter. The recipe notes it specifically, and for good reason. Margarine has more water and less fat, which makes the dough spread and lose its shape.
• Don’t press the thumbprint too deep or the cookie walls will be too thin and crack during baking.
• Fill the wells with jam before baking so the preserves set slightly in the oven. Overfilling causes spillover, so keep it to about half a teaspoon each.
• Let them cool completely before rolling in powdered sugar. Warm cookies melt the sugar into a sticky paste.

Variations

• Chocolate thumbprints: Fill with chocolate ganache instead of jelly for a richer, more decadent cookie.
• Lemon curd: Use lemon curd in the wells for a bright, tangy alternative to traditional jam.