Ingredient: hazelnuts, finely chopped

THUMBPRINT or THIMBLE COOKIES – are such a great little cookie with so many variations that they remain among the holiday favorites. Of course it’s not hard to figure out the meaning behind their name. Similar to filled cookies, you can either fill the divot you make in them either before or after you bake them.

Here is a good example of the phrase ‘the same only different’. Four varieties of thumbprint cookies you might want to add to your office cookie exchange list, if they are not already on it.

                                       SPICED PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE * LEMON BLUEBERRY

                                                             RASPBERRY ANISE * FIG & FLAX

Print Recipe

Thumbprint Cookies

By Christmas cookie standards -- they are pretty healthy, right!

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Rating: 5
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Course

dessert

Cuisine

American

Servings

(each recipe) MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp EACH cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, ground anise seed
• 1/8 tsp EACH salt & white pepper
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Cream Cheese Filling

• 65 grams (1/4 cup) cream cheese, softened
• 1 Tbsp butter,
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 30 grams (1/4 cup) walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup crystalized ginger, finely chopped for decoration

Lemon/Blueberry Thumbprint Cookies OR (Raspberry/Anise)

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp lemon extract FOR RASPBERRY-ANISE RECIPE use 1 tsp EACH anise seed & extract
• 2 small lemons, ZEST ONLY, minced fine
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup blueberry preserves FOR RASPBERRY-ANISE RECIPE use 1 cup raspberry preserves
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped

Fig & Flax Thumbprint Cookies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided
• 1 large egg, separated
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp PLUS 1/4 cup ground flax seeds, divided
• 1/4 tsp EACH cream of tartar, cinnamon & nutmeg or cardamom
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup fig preserves

Course dessert Cuisine American Servings (each recipe) MetricUS Imperial Ingredients Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 1/4 cup sugar 1 egg, beaten 1/4 cup pureed pumpkin 1 1/2 cups flour 1/4 tsp EACH cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, ground anise seed 1/8 tsp EACH salt & white pepper 1 tsp cinnamon Cream Cheese Filling 65 grams (1/4 cup) cream cheese, softened 1 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed 1/2 tsp vanilla 30 grams (1/4 cup) walnuts, finely chopped 1/4 cup crystalized ginger, finely chopped for decoration Lemon/Blueberry Thumbprint Cookies OR (Raspberry/Anise) 1 cup unsalted butter 1/2 cup sugar 2 large egg yolks 1 tsp lemon extract FOR RASPBERRY-ANISE RECIPE use 1 tsp EACH anise seed & extract 2 small lemons, ZEST ONLY, minced fine 2 1/2 cups flour pinch of salt 1 cup blueberry preserves FOR RASPBERRY-ANISE RECIPE use 1 cup raspberry preserves 1/2 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped Fig & Flax Thumbprint Cookies 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided 1 large egg, separated 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup flour 2 Tbsp PLUS 1/4 cup ground flax seeds, divided 1/4 tsp EACH cream of tartar, cinnamon & nutmeg or cardamom 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 cup fig preserves

Votes: 1 Rating: 5 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

Spiced Pumpkin Cream Cheese

1. In a medium bowl, combine butter with brown & white sugar. Add egg, pumpkin, flour, spices & salt; mixing until a thick dough forms. Preheat oven to 300 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop balls (about 2 tsp size), 1-inch apart from each other. Using your thumb or a sewing thimble, make a divot in the center of each ball. Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly brown. Remove cookies from oven; while hot, deepen any of the divots if needed. Place on cooling rack.
2. In a small bow, combine cream cheese filling ingredients, mixing well. When cookies are completely cool, spoon a small amount of filling into each of the divots. Top each with a bit of crystallized ginger.

Lemon Blueberry or Raspberry Anise Thumbprint Cookies

1. In a medium bowl, cream butter & sugar well. Beat in egg yolks & extract. Stir in lemon zest, then fold in flour & salt until fully incorporated & a soft dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap & chill about an hour. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form dough into 1-inch balls; roll in hazelnuts & place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Using your thumb or a sewing thimble, make a divot in the center of each ball. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove cookies from oven; while hot, deepen any divots if needed. Place on cooling rack & cool completely before filling centers with preserves.

Fig & Flax Thumbprint Cookies

1. In a medium bowl, beat butter & 1/4 cup brown sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Add egg yolk & vanilla; beat until combined. In another bowl, whisk together flour, 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds, cream of tartar, spices & salt. Slowly add flour mixture to the batter & beat on low until just combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, place the egg white. In a small dish, combine 1/4 remaining brown sugar with 1/4 ground flax seeds. Roll slightly rounded teaspoons of dough into balls. Dip one ball at a time into the egg white & then roll in the sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet; press divots in each ball. Bake about 15-17 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove from oven; check if divots need to be deepened. Place on cooling rack & cool completely.

Recipe Notes

• With the Blueberry, Raspberry & Fig recipes, you can bake the cookies for about 15 minutes then add the preserves & bake another 3-4 minutes. I find it easier to store or freeze the cookies if I put the preserve in at serving time -- personal preference only.
• I rolled my spiced pumpkin cookies in gingersnap crumbs just for a little added flavor.
• Apricot preserves are another good choice for the flax thumbprints and probably easier to find depending where you live.