Reader's Recipes: Evelyn's Christmas Cookies • jam thumbprints! (2024)

FAQs

Should you fill thumbprint cookies before or after baking? ›

Thumbprint cookies should be filled before baking. This gives the jam time in the oven to firm up and set a little. That way the jam won't be spreading all over the place when you're eating the cookies!

Temperature. Dough that is too warm or soft will spread more than dough that is cooler, so if you're working in a very warm kitchen, putting your dough in the fridge for 15 minutes or longer before using it will help prevent spread. Butter that is too warm or soft is also a major culprit.

If you overmix the dough, the cookies will be dry and crumbly. The best way to fix this is to add more liquid to the dough. This can be done by adding milk or melted butter.

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.

There's no need to refrigerate. These cookies will keep for at least a week before starting to dry out and get crumbly.

Yield: This recipe will make about 42 cookies depending on exactly what size you roll your balls of dough. Storage: Store Thumbprint cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Make ahead: The dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days in advance. Just portion it straight from the refrigerator.

Cookies made with more perishable ingredients, like ricotta cookies, jam cookies, or meringue cookies, will need cooler temperatures within a few hours of baking. Look to the fridge (or freezer) if they'll be around longer.

The best way to keep thumbprint cookies from cracking and to keep them soft is to use cornstarch. In this recipe, I use just the right amount of cornstarch so you have a buttery shortbread cookie that doesn't crack.

A low proportion of sugar relative to flour reduces spread, keeping the cookies thick. A high proportion of mix-ins helps thicken the dough. Blending chocolate chip styles creates a more dynamic flavor. Overnight refrigeration hydrates the flour, again helping the cookies stay thick.

Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.

How long do thumbprint cookies stay fresh? ›

When stored properly, our Thumbprint Cookies can stay fresh for 5-7 days. Make sure to store your cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature.

When does Thumbprint Cookies expire? 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.

Make ahead tip: The dough may be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for 48 hours or frozen for up to 3 months.

Can I freeze thumbprint cookies? Absolutely! Thumbprint cookies will either have their indentions made before or after baking. If that occurs before baking, you can do that before they're frozen so that they're ready to go when you're ready to bake them.

Can you ship Jam Thumbprint Cookies? Yes, these ship quite well! For optimal freshness, wrap the cookies tightly in plastic wrap. You don't have to do them individually, but try to stack them in groups of 3-4 so there's not much air around them.

Most cookies are made with the creaming method. Whip together the fat and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow. Then add the eggs and flavorings and then alternatively mix in the flour and liquids, stopping to scrape down the bowl occasionally. Chill and bake.

But from there, there is actually much debate about which order of combining is best. Some say that adding dry into wet leads to clumps of dry ingredients floating in the batter, while others say that actually the opposite, adding wet to dry, leads to, well, clumps.

What: Mix dry ingredients together first. They're all going into the same baking pan anyway, right? Well, yes. BUT whether you are making cookies, muffins, cake, or pancakes, the general rule of baking is that dry ingredients should be combined together thoroughly in one bowl BEFORE you add the wet ingredients.

Do Thumbprint Cookies ship well? Yes. Firm and sturdy cookies are the best type of cookies to ship, so our Thumbprint Cookies handle the trip well.