Glazed Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies
Buttery vanilla and almond flavored shortbread cookies with strawberry jam and drizzled with icing. These cookies will melt in your mouth. You may find yourself eating cookie after cookie.
Shortbread thumbprint cookies are one of my favorite holiday cookies. It just so happens to be very popular this time of year as well. If you’re looking to entertain guests, family, special holiday events or gift cookies, everyone will love shortbread cookies filled with jam. Shortbread cookie dough is a lot of fun to work with. This dough can be make for these cookies are it can be rolled out and made into cookie cutter shapes for the holidays. Fill the thumbprint centers with your favorite sweet jam, chocolate or caramel sauce.
Tis’ the season when the most delicious baking happens. Good food makes for great table conversation and happy bellies. Serve this classic shortbread recipe at any holiday party or cookie exchange.
To bake the perfect cookie every time, I use Heirloom Cookie Sheets.
If you’re a cookie fanatic, you will love baking this recipe. Get the family, kids and friends together on a snowy day and have fun baking batches of this dough and signing Christmas music together. This recipe uses simple ingredients found in most kitchens. Every good shortbread cookie starts with butter, sugar and flour. No eggs are needed. No baking powder or soda. Keep it simple. Beat it together in bowl and add some baking extract to flavor the dough and it’s done. It’s important to chill shortbread dough before baking. Pop it in the refrigerator for a few hours or over night. It can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Now, the fun part. Scoop the dough and roll it between the hand until nice and smooth. Place on baking sheet and make a thumbprint indentation in the dough. Fill it with your favorite flavored jams. Bake in the oven for 13 minutes and allow them to cool.
Make these classic cookies gourmet and dip the rims in chopped nuts before filling the center with jam.

Glazed Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- Cookie Dough
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup strawberry jam , or any flavor jam
- Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla/almond/lemon extract - optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl fit with a mixer, beat butter on high speed until light and fluffy, about a minute or two. Add sugar, and vanilla/almond extract and beat on medium speed. Slowly, add flour (1/2 cup at a time) and continue to beat on low until Soft dough forms. Compact dough and cover it with plastic wrap for at least 2-4 hours; dough should be firm when working with. I refrigerated my dough over night.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 1 inch balls of dough and roll them until they are smooth. Place on cookie sheet and press thumb into dough on each ball. Dough may crack, simply smooth over with finger. Fill each thumbprint center will jam and bake for 13-14 minutes. Do not over bake, cookies will harden but will be soft. Place dough refrigerator after each use. Allow cookies to cool before placing on a wire rack. Allow cookie sheet to completely cool before using again or cookie dough may spread.
- To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar, water and flavored extract into a medium bowl and stir to combine. Using a spoon, drizzle glaze over cookies once cool.
- Cookie dough can be stored in freezer for up to 2 months. Baked cookies can be stored for 2-3 months covered, in freezer.
adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
14 Comments
angie
01/12/2015 at 2:36 pmthese are some of my favorites oh so yummy
come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com
Becky at Cooking with Vinyl
01/16/2015 at 3:14 pmThese look yummy! Thanks for sharing on the link party. I’m a new food blogger and love meeting others. I’ve followed your social sites and hope we can connect on those. I love your blog name! Becky
Karly
01/18/2015 at 5:50 pmThese cookies are so irresistible! I wish I had a few right now! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Suzanne
01/24/2015 at 9:26 amHi Jessica,
These look delicious. Thanks for sharing at Saturday Sparks. You have been featured today.
Warmest Regards,
Suzanne
Pieced Pastimes
Hollie
12/23/2015 at 9:30 pmHello! So I made this dough yesterday and put it in the fridge overnight. Now, it’s hard as a rock ? Please help!
Jessica Knott
12/24/2015 at 12:06 amlet it get to room temp then form into balls. It is a delicate dough but try your best to do balls by rolling between the hands
Jessica Knott
01/16/2016 at 5:48 pmHollie, the dough will be hard. Just leave it out a little until it becomes manageable to scoop out.
Tabitha
12/22/2017 at 11:29 pmHey, did you ever figure out why your dough was hard? Mine is now! Help
Jessica Knott
12/23/2017 at 2:06 pmIf after refrigeration, just let it sit on the counter top for 20 minutes. The dough should soften more when rolled between your hands. Hope that helps.
Kelly Cherie
01/15/2016 at 5:40 pmHi Jessica this recipe looked so yummy that Im making them right now.. Im chilling my dough for 2 hours and then going to bake… Cant wait to try them and will let you know how they turn out!! Fyi— I had to use 2 Tablespoons of water in the glaze to make it the consistancy to be able to drizzle it (pre-made the glaze)
Jessica Knott
01/16/2016 at 12:24 pmLucky, wish I had some right now, yum!
Loie
01/21/2016 at 7:06 pmI made these for Christmas and I used raspberry jam instead. Also, dusted with powder sugar for a different lo instead of a glaze. They are not very sweet and a nice buttery cookie.
Taylor
05/06/2017 at 10:42 pmHi, how do you store these cookies once made? Can they sit out in an airtight container for a few days or should they be refridgerated?
Thanks!
Jessica Knott
05/07/2017 at 2:07 pmHi Taylor, an air tight container should do