These delightful Swedish Thumbprint Cookies are a holiday classic with their buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture and jammy center. They're great to make to gift others or simply keep on hand when you want a bite of something sweet.
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The literal translation from Hallongrottor in Swedish is raspberry caves in English and sometimes these cookies can be found to be thicker with a deeper raspberry filling.
What are Thumbprint Cookies?
Hallongrottor, also known as Thumbprint Cookies, are delightful Swedish treats that have a unique name meaning "raspberry caves" in Swedish. These are traditional raspberry thumbprint cookies made from a buttery cookie dough that is shaped into small rounds and indented with a thumb, hence the name. The indentation is then filled with a delicious jam or preserve, creating a delightful burst of flavor in every bite.
Ingredients and substitutions for Thumbprint Cookies
- Butter: Room temperature unsalted butter was used here, though salted butter would also work, if thatโs what you have on hand. Room temperature is best because this combines with the sugar and helps to give your cookies their texture.
- Sugar: Icing or confectioner's sugar is best here because it dissolves into the butter due to it's incredibly fine texture. It is not recommended to replace with any other other sugar as this would change the signature texture.
- Plain flour: Plain or all purpose works best here for a nice shortbread base, however, you could use bread flour in equal measure here if thatโs all you have on hand.
- Baking powder: This helps the cookies rise ever so slightly meaning the cookie crumb is light.
- Raspberry jam: The traditional flavor to use, though, you can opt to use a different jam, if you prefer!
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Thumbprint Cookies:
Step 1: Cream it: Cream the butter and sugar.
Step 2: Dries and flavor: Add in the dry ingredients and extract and combine until a crumbly dough forms.
Step 3: Roll out: Between two sheets to ยผ inch thickness.
Step 4: Cookie cutter: Press a round cookie cutter into the dough and before you pull away press and turn your thumb into the center to make that print.
Step 5: Chill: Place the cookies on a tray and chill.
Step 6: Jammy filling: Spoon some jam into the center of your cookies.
Step 7: Bake: Place in the oven and bake until lightly golden on the edges and cool.
Step 8: Serve: Grab 2 because youโll need them as you dig in!
FAQs for the best Thumbprint Cookies
If you have a honey drizzle, simply flour the tip of the drizzle and tap to remove any excess and press into the center of your cookie, turning gently to really indent your cookie before you remove your cookie cutter so it remains nice and round in shape.
The chill time, despite how short it is, allows the butter dough to firm up resulting in cookies that will spread less during baking which has a two fold result in ensuring the cookies bake more evenly.
Thumbprint Cookies offer a wide range of flavor possibilities. You can use any variety of jam or preserve that suits your taste. Popular choices include strawberry, apricot, blueberry, and even lemon curd. Feel free to experiment with different flavors to create your own unique combinations!
More European cookies youโll love
Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 250 grams / 8.8 ounces butter room temperature
- 75 grams / ยพ cup + 1 teaspoon confectionerโs/icing sugar
- 286 grams / 1 ยพ cups + ยผ teaspoon plain flour
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 grams / ยพ teaspoon baking powder
- 100 grams / โ cup raspberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C/400F and line your baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, approximately 3 minutes with a hand mixer.
- Add in the flour, vanilla extract and baking powder.
- Combine on low until the mixture looks crumbly and no dry portions remain in your bowl.
- Measure out 2 equal portions of greaseproof paper and invert the crumbly dough onto one portion of the dough.
- Press the second piece of greaseproof paper over the top and press down, rolling out the dough to โ inch thick.
- Pull away the top piece of the paper and lightly flour the top of the dough to smooth it out.
- Press a round cookie cutter into the edge of your dough and either press firmly into the center with your lightly floured thumb or a lightly floured honey drizzle.
- Turn your wrist to make a proper and even dent in the center of your cookie.
- Lightly slide a thin offset spatula underneath your cookie and lift up, lightly pressing the top of your edges to loosen away from the cookie cutter.
- Set your cookie aside on your top layer of greaseproof paper and set on a tray.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Set the cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Place your cookies onto a baking tray with 2 inches gap between each.
- Spoon ยฝ teaspoon raspberry jam into the centers of your cookies and bake until the biscuits look matte for 12 minutes.
- Remove and allow to cool for 2 minutes on the tray before placing on a cooling tray.
- Serve em up!
Video
Notes
- It's best to chill the dough: The chill time, despite how short it is, allows the butter dough to firm up resulting in cookies that will spread less during baking which has a two fold result in ensuring the cookies bake more evenly.
- Creating consistent thumbprint indents: If you have a honey drizzle, simply flour the tip of the drizzle and tap to remove any excess and press into the center of your cookie, turning gently to really indent your cookie before you remove your cookie cutter so it remains nice and round in shape.
- Benefit of refrigerating your dough: The chill time, despite how short it is, allows the butter dough to firm up resulting in cookies that will spread less during baking which has a two fold result in ensuring the cookies bake more evenly.
- Make the jam filling your own: You can use any variety of jam or preserve that suits your taste. Popular choices include strawberry, apricot, blueberry, and even lemon curd. Feel free to experiment with different flavors to create your own unique combinations!
Nutrition
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