Cherry Thumbprint Cookie Recipe | Christmas Cookie Idea | Moms Need To Know ™ (2024)

by Mindi Cherry

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This Cherry Thumbprint Cookie recipe will make a great addition to any Christmas cookie tray. Can easily be tweaked for any flavor filling!

Cherry Thumbprint Cookie Recipe | Christmas Cookie Idea | Moms Need To Know ™ (1)

A classic on any cookie tray is always thumbprint cookies. This Cherry Thumbprint Cookie recipe is yet another easy cookie recipe to make with the kids. Using cherry pie filling will give the cookies just enough moisture to make them irresistible!

The dough can be made ahead of time, formed in to balls with the thumbprint. When you are ready to bake them, just place the frozen balls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, allow to thaw for about 15 minutes and then add the cherry filling!

UPDATE: Because of comments and emails that I received about these cookies, I wanted to add a few extra tips to help youend up with fabulous cookies. One of the biggest problems that people have is that they spread out too much. Follow these tips and you should be fine:

  1. Do NOT use margarine. It didn't even occur to me that people would substitute margarine (since I haven't had it in about 30 years), but quite a few people have used margarine and ended up with a disaster!
  2. One thing that I can't stress enough...you need to use parchment paper with this recipe when you bake them. if you don't - I can guarantee you that your cookies will spread too much (because of the high butter content) and they will look nothing close to my picture. PLEASE check out my why you should be using parchment paper for baking post for more information!
  3. You want to put these in the oven while the dough is still cold. This will help minimize spreading. So, if you are like me, you get distracted by your kids 50 times while doing ANYTHING, then do this: after you have rolled your balls and made the indentation, place your cookie sheet (full of balls) in the freezer for a few minutes. Once they are cold again, fill them immediately and get them in the oven!

The cookies are going to spread a little no matter what you do (because of how much butter is in them), but if you use parchment paper and you place the cookies in the oven "cold", they will start to cook on the outside (helping them keep their shape) before the inside gets warm enough to spread!

Cherry Thumbprint Cookie Recipe | Christmas Cookie Idea | Moms Need To Know ™ (2)

Cherry Thumbprint Cookie Recipe | Christmas Cookie Idea | Moms Need To Know ™ (3)

Cherry Thumbprint Cookies

This Cherry Thumbprint Cookie recipe will make a great addition to any Christmas cookie tray. Can easily be tweaked for any flavor filling!

Print Pin

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Resting/Chilling Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 40

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Butter softened
  • ½ cup Sugar
  • 2 cup Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla
  • Cherry Pie Filling
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Milk

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375.

  • Cream together butter and sugar and vanilla

  • Mix in flour (your dough will look crumbly).

  • Roll dough into round balls or use a cookie scoop and place on a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet.

  • Make thumbprints in each dough ball and fill with a cherry from the pie filling.

  • If the dough is even a little bit warm (or “room temperature”), place your cookie sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes to allow the dough to chill back up. You want to put these cookies in the oven while the dough is still cold to minimize spreading!

  • Bake for 15 mins until edges start to get lightly brown and cookie sets up.

  • Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 15 minuutes.

  • Mix powdered sugar with milk to make a thick glaze

  • Pour icing in to a piping bag outfitted with a fine tip

  • Pipe icing in perpendicular lines across cookie to decorate.

Notes

This cherry thumbprint cookie recipe is foolproof as long as you follow 2 very important instructions:

  1. Use parchment paper
  2. Make sure that the unbaked cookies are COLD when you put them in the oven (If you can, put the cookies, on the parchment paper and on the cookie sheet in the freezer)

By doing this, it will allow to cookies to bake before the high amount of butter that are in these cookies do what it naturally wants to to...spread!

Don't limit yourself to just cherry thumbprint cookies! Switch up the filling by using lemon curd, raspberry jam...the possibilities are endless!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Val

    How many cookies does this recipe make?

  2. Debbie Karnes

    The picture show a bottle of vanilla...but there is no mention of it in the rccipe. Do I need to add some?
    Debbie Karnes

  3. Melissa

    I made these tonight. Turned out great. I did add a touch of vanilla. I made them small and got 3 1/2 dozen. I will add these to my Christmas cookie list!

  4. Jessy

    Is it regular butter or unsalted ?

    • Mindi Cherry

      I use salted butter for almost all my baking (and then if the recipe says to use salt, I just don't add it)

  5. Lisa

    These were an epic fail when I made them. They all ran together and were paper thin.

    • Mindi Cherry

      Did you use parchment paper when you baked them? If you didn't, they probably would have flattened out! You HAVE to use parchment paper (which I use every single time I make cookies!)

  6. Emmy

    This is my third year making these but I couldn't find my original recipe, so I used this. Cookies flattened to death and starting browning with 4min left on the timer. Used parchment and everything =(

  7. Eileen Ramponi

    I made these cookies as the new Christmas cookie to my baking this year. They turned out perfectly. I did not use the white chocolate drizzle, instead I made a sugar glaze using powdered sugar and butter. They were wonderful!

  8. Diane

    Do these thumbprint cookies freeze well after baking?

    • Mindi Cherry

      Hi Diane!

      I have never tried it (freezing them after baking), but I don't see why they wouldn't freeze well!

  9. Chris

    made these for a cookie exchange at work. I used parchment paper and they still flattened out. Were still edible but will not be making again.

    • Mindi Cherry

      Chris - I'm really sorry that they didn't work out for you.

      I know that you said you won't be making them again, but others might try this one other tip (that I will edit the recipe to include): after you have rolled your balls and made the indentation, place your cookie sheet (full of balls) in the freezer for a few minutes. The cookies are going to spread a little no matter what you do (because of how much butter is in them), but if you use parchment paper and you place the cookies in the oven "cold", they will start to cook on the outside (helping them keep their shape) before the inside gets warm enough to spread!

  10. Valentina Beaver

    I made these tonight(12/13/14) as the first of my 12 Days of Christmas cookies and they were SUPERB!! I might add that I pre-chill ALL my cookie dough and the results are always superior. Baking is an exact chemistry thing so the details matter...unlike cooking. My mom was a superb baker and she would have loved this version of her more complex recipe!! Merry Christmas!!

  11. Audrey

    How long are they good for once they are baked? Do you store them in the refrigerator?

  12. Kate

    I just made these, the first tray was not a disaster but they definitely ran together a bit. They were in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking. I put the second tray in the freezer instead of the fridge and they came out perfect!

  13. Julia

    I made these as part of my Christmas cookies to give to friends and family but the first batch didn't quite make it between me, my husband and step-daughter 'sampling' them lol. They were delicious! I followed the tips and used all butter, parchment paper and put them in the freezer for a bit before the oven. They didn't spread much at all and were delicious! I'm making a double batch tonight so that I have some to give away to family and friends!

Cherry Thumbprint Cookie Recipe | Christmas Cookie Idea | Moms Need To Know ™ (2024)

FAQs

Why are my thumbprint cookies falling apart? ›

The dough should be chilled for at least 30 minutes, so that you can shape it into balls and indent without falling apart. Check that your oven temperature isn't too high.

How do you keep thumbprint cookies from cracking? ›

Make sure you roll the cookie dough balls into a smooth round ball. If there are cracks on the balls, then they're more likely to crack as you indent them. Also, avoid waiting too long after rolling them to indent them.

Why are they called thumbprint cookies? ›

Thumbprint Cookies originally got their name from bakers who pushed their thumb down into the cookies, creating a small indentation in each one.

Can thumbprint cookie dough be frozen? ›

Store jam thumbprint cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze jam thumbprint cookies after they have cooled for 3 hours (the jam needs to set). Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Cookie dough make be frozen for up to 3 months.

Do I need to refrigerate thumbprint cookies? ›

No. After baking, thumbprint cookies do not need to be refrigerated. To store them, simply save in an airtight container at room temperature. You can store them in the refrigerator if you prefer, but it's not necessary.

What is the shelf life of Thumbprint Cookies? ›

When does Thumbprint Cookies expire? Thumbprint cookies, whether homemade or store-bought, generally maintain their best quality for up to 1 to 2 weeks at normal room temperature. If you store your cookies in the fridge, you can extend their life to about 3 weeks.

How long can thumbprint cookie dough be refrigerated? ›

Most cookie dough can be refrigerated, well-wrapped, for 3-5 days before baking. If you want to make it farther in advance, freeze the dough. You can either freeze the entire brick of dough or divide it into portions for quick baking.

How do you make cookies not stick together? ›

Store cookies in layers

The last thing you want is for your cookies to stick together! To prevent sticking when you store your cookies, arrange them in a single layer and add a piece of parchment paper or waxed paper between layers. (Here's why you should bake cookies on parchment paper, too!)

What are Elvis cookies? ›

The Elvis: Peanut Butter, Banana and Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies.

What are the oldest cookies in the world? ›

Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico” in the village of Colcullo in the Italian region of Abruzzo.

What is the old name for cookies? ›

While the English primarily referred to cookies as small cakes, seed biscuits, or tea cakes, or by specific names, such as jumbal or macaroon, the Dutch called the koekjes, a diminutive of koek (cake)...

What happens if you don't freeze cookie dough before baking? ›

Putting cookie dough into the freezer before baking can help solidify the fat from the butter in your cookies, which in turn keeps them from spreading too much in the oven. Colder dough will not expand as much as warm dough does. This will produce a higher, thicker cookie.

Can you freeze cookie dough in a Ziploc? ›

Roll into balls – Depending on the texture of your dough, either roll into balls immediately or after freezing for 30 minutes (just like the drop cookies above!). Wrap and freeze – Wrap each dough ball in plastic, transfer to a ziploc, and freeze for up to 6 months.

What causes cookies to break apart? ›

Baking requires precision, and if you find your homemade cookies are falling apart, then there's a good chance you have been using too much flour (via Fine Cooking).

Why won't my cookies stay together? ›

If you reduce the amount of butter or oil in a recipe, your cookies won't spread as much. If you add too much flour, your cookies won't spread as much. If your cookies have more brown sugar than white sugar, they won't spread as much. It's a careful balance.

What causes cookies to be crumbly? ›

Too much flour = crumbly cookies

If you don't want to measure by weight, try sifting your flour first and scooping flour into your measuring cup with a spoon, and don't pack it down into the cup. If all else fails, try reducing the amount of flour in the recipe by 10%.

Why are my cookies broken? ›

Wrong butter temperature

Butter that is too soft or melted will make it hard for your cookies to hold their shape. On the other hand, incorporating cold butter into a mixture of dry ingredients is troublesome and difficult. Here's a hack: Cut your butter into cubes before letting them soften at room temperature.

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