Italian Thumbprint Cookies Recipes

ITALIAN THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream together margarine and sugar.
• Add salt, lightly beaten egg yolks, vanilla, and almond extract, and mix thoroughly.
• Gradually add flour and stir until well blended.
• Roll dough into one inch balls.
• Beat egg whites until frothy.
• Dip dough balls into egg whites and roll in chopped nuts.
• Place on cookie sheet about two inches apart and press a deep thrumbprint into each center.
• Bake at 350 degrees 10-12 minutes.
• While cookies are still warm, fill thumbprints with jelly or press a maraschino cherry or Hershey's kiss into the thumbprint.

JAM THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, cream the butter with brown sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, mixing well.
• Add the flour and salt to the creamed mixture, and mix just until the ingredients form a ball.
• In a shallow dish, beat egg white slightly. Shape dough into 1 inch balls then roll in the egg white, then the nuts.
• Place the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet then bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven then make the indentation, then bake an additional 7 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the cookies to a cooling rack. Once cool, fill with the jam of your choice,.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
• Separate egg, reserving egg white. Cream butter or margarine, sugar, and egg yolk.
• Add vanilla, flour and salt, mixing well.
• Shape dough into balls. Roll in egg white, then walnuts. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 5 minutes.
• Remove cookies from oven. With thumb, dent each cookie. Put jelly or preserves in each thumbprint. Bake for another 8 minutes.

PERFECT THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix butter and powdered sugar together with a rubber spatula until creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and egg yolk. Mix with the spatula. Add flour and blend until just combined.
• Use a sorbet scoop to portion dough into 1/2-ounce (1-tablespoon) balls. Roll balls in a plate of white sugar to coat; roll again between your palms. Place several inches apart on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Flatten balls lightly with your fingers.
• To make shortbread cookies with a little jam, poke a well into each cookie using the end of a thick wooden spoon dusted with powdered sugar or using one of your fingers. Fill cookies with fruit jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops are barely blonde and bottoms are slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before icing.
• Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar with a little milk until you have a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. Pipe icing on top of cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
• For a more jam-forward cookie, press your thumb into the cookies to make large, shallow indentations. Spoon in jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter.
• Bake until not quite golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let rest on pan for 5 minutes before transferring a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

THUMBPRINT BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg, oil, vanilla and butter flavoring. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Shape dough into 1-in. balls; place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in center of each with the end of a wooden spoon handle. Bake until edges are light brown, 8-10 minutes., Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Fill with preserves.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat well. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and salt; add to butter mixture, beating on low until combined.
• Combine ground almonds with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Form dough into 1-inch balls, and dip in beaten egg white, then in almond-and-sugar mixture. Make a deep indentation in the center of each ball with your finger or a wooden spoon. Place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
• Bake 10 minutes, remove from oven, and press down the centers again. Rotate sheets, and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool slightly. Fill center of each cookie with about 1 teaspoon jam. Let cool completely. Thumbprints can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, between parchment, up to 1 day (or 3 days, if not filled with jam).