Recipe

Thumbprint Cookies With Raspberry Jam Are a Burst of Flavor in Every Bite

By Sydney Brown at High School

Nothing's better than a perfectly baked cookie on a pretty fall day. Instead of your basic crispy chocolate chip, I'm changing it up to thumbprint cookies (and let me tell you, they're sooooo in). This recipe is a win-win.

Not only am I baking up golden, vanilla cookies with a cute little thumbprint in the middle; To go with it, a tart raspberry jam with lemon and basil to counterbalance the party of sweetness going on. 

These cookies aren't going to bake themselves, so you'll need a few basic ingredients to get your creation going.

Thumbprint Cookies with Raspberry Jam

  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 18 mins
  • Total Time: 38 mins
Ingredients
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 and 1/12 sticks softened butter
  • 2/3 cups sugar plus a little more for the jam
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 lemon
  • Basil for garnish

Photo by Sydney Brown

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Then, get all of your ingredients together and get ready to make some killer cookies.

Photo by Sydney Brown

Step 2

Combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt.

Photo by Sydney Brown

Step 3

Cream together the butter and sugar and continue mixing for about five minutes. Then, add the egg and vanilla, and mix until all is incorporated.

Photo by Sydney Brown

Step 4

Add about 1/4 of the dry mix at a time to the wet mix, and continue that process until all is mixed together.

Photo by Sydney Brown

Step 5

To form the cookies, roll a tablespoon of batter into a ball, and place on the sheet tray (line the sheet tray with parchment paper). You should be able to make about 21 cookies. Once formed, lightly push your thumb into the cookie, which will make it a "thumbprint cookie."

Photo by Sydney Brown

Step 6

While the cookies are baking, start the jam. In a saucepan, add about a cup of raspberries, a few tablespoons of water, 2 tablespoons of sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. This only takes about five minutes, and when the mixture comes to a bubble, turn the heat off and strain it into a bowl. At this point, the take the cookies out of the oven!

Photo by Sydney Brown

Step 7

Fill the cookies with the raspberry jam, and garnish with a small piece of basil.

Photo by Sydney Brown