Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Inspired by techniques from King Arthur Baking, America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
These raspberry thumbprint cookies follow the classic method, filled with warmed seedless raspberry jam instead of lemon curd and finished with an optional lemon-icing drizzle once cooled.
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Method
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Equipment
- 2 large metal baking trays lined with baking paper
- stand mixer or electric hand whisk
- wooden spoon with a rounded 1.5 cm handle end, or a 1/2 tsp measure
- wire rack
- small piping bag (optional)
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 126 kcal |
| Protein | 1.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 15 g |
| of which sugars | 7.5 g |
| of which free sugars | 7.4 g |
| Fat | 6.9 g |
| of which saturates | 3.8 g |
| Fibre | 0.4 g |
| Salt | 0.1 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 32 servings
Dough
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened (about 18°C)
- 100 g caster sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 g fine sea salt or table salt about ½ tsp
- 50 g ground almonds
- 260 g plain flour
Filling
- 160 g seedless raspberry jam about 1 tsp per cookie; warm briefly so it pipes or spoons smoothly
Drizzle (optional)
- 60 g icing sugar
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1
Cream butter and sugar. Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. This version follows the same creamed shortbread method as the classic thumbprint cookie, but swaps in warmed raspberry jam for the filling and adds an optional lemon drizzle at the end. Beat in the egg yolks, vanilla and salt until smooth.
- 2
Mix in almonds and flour. Mix in the ground almonds, then add the flour on low speed, stopping as soon as the dough comes together. With no egg white in the mix, the dough stays low in moisture, which is what lets it hold a deep well without spreading. Be careful not to overmix once the flour goes in, or the biscuits can turn out tough.
- 3
Chill the dough. Wrap the dough and chill for 1 hour. The chilled butter firms back up, helping the shaped biscuits keep their definition and their wells in the oven. Use this hour to get the oven heating and the jam ready to warm later.
- 4
Heat the oven. During the chill, heat the oven to 175°C (155°C fan) for at least 20 minutes, with a shelf in the middle. A properly preheated oven sets the biscuit edges quickly, which helps limit spreading. Line two large metal trays with baking paper ready for shaping.
- 5
Shape and press wells. Roll the dough into 20 g balls, space them 4 cm apart on the lined trays, and press a deep well into each with the rounded end of a spoon handle. Pinch together any cracked edges, since they can widen further as the biscuits bake. The deeper the well, the more jam each one will hold once filled.
- 6
First bake and fill. Bake for 10 minutes, until just set, then re-press any wells that have puffed up. Warm the raspberry jam briefly until it loosens and spoons smoothly, then fill each well — warm jam settles flat rather than sitting in a stiff dome. Fill them while the biscuits are still warm so the jam has time to set as they finish baking.
- 7
Second bake. Return the trays to the oven and bake for a further 6-8 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. The jam will look glossy and slightly bubbled at this point, which shows it's hot enough to have set properly. Golden edges mean the shortbread base is fully cooked through.
- 8
Cool carefully. Leave the biscuits on the tray for 10 minutes, as both the biscuit and the jam filling will be very fragile and hot. Move them to a wire rack to cool completely before icing. Makes about 32 biscuits.
- 9
Add the lemon drizzle. Once the biscuits are fully cold, mix the icing sugar and lemon juice to a thick, flowing icing. Drizzle it over the top of each biscuit and leave to set for 30 minutes before serving or storing. The icing adds a sharp contrast to the sweetness of the jam.
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature, in a single layer, for up to 5 days. Unfilled baked biscuits freeze for up to 3 months; thaw, then fill and ice before serving.
