Simple Lemon Thumbprint Cookies with Homemade Raspberry Jam
You can never go wrong with a cookie filled with a puddle of goodness smack in the center. It’s like a delicious treat in every bite. One of my favorite cookies as a kid was a peanut butter blossom, and my constant dilemma was how to get a bit of that chocolate center in every bite. And then I found out about thumbprint cookies, with their wells of filling in the middle and simply fell in love.
These lemon raspberry thumbprint cookies are packed with lemon flavor – from both the zest and the juice of the fresh lemon – and combined with a center pool of easy raspberry jam, oh baby the tart and sweet flavors balance so so beautifully. The cookies are incredibly tender and melt in your mouth with every bite, thanks to the buttery dough.
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WHAT IS A THUMBPRINT COOKIE?
Thumbprints are small, often buttery and soft cookies with a small indent in the center. The indent can be filled with a variety of things from jam to lemon curd to chocolate. After you roll your dough into balls, you use your thumb or even the back of a small teaspoon to press an indent into your cookie. Depending on the filling you are using, you may fill it in advance of baking (like you do for this raspberry jam-filled recipe) or after the cookies have been removed from the oven (like these Rosemary & White Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies).
How to zest fruit without a microplane: I only just got a microplane but I’ve been using a grater for as long as I can remember. Use the smallest holes on your grater to get the zest off of your lemons. You can also use a vegetable peeler and then very finely dice your peels. Remember, you just want the yellow of the lemon, not the white (called the “pith,” which is very bitter)!
INGREDIENTS
- Unsalted Butter: Provides a buttery melt-in-your-mouth flavor and a tender texture
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens these cookies while contributing to both the moisture and bake
- Egg: Adds not only to the moisture but provides some chew to the texture of each cookie
- Lemon (Juice & Zest): Brings that lemon flavor to the dough (+ a balance to the jam) and works with the pectin in the raspberries to help set your jam
- Flour: A key binding ingredient providing structure to your cookies
- Cornstarch: Works alongside the flour to also provide a more tender bite
- Salt: Always helping to balance flavors
- Baking Powder: Your only rising agent, helping the cookies to puff a little as they bake
- Frozen Raspberries: I prefer using frozen over fresh for jam since we’re cooking them down anyways
My jam looks runny in the pot still, are you sure it’s done? Yes! Your jam will thicken as it cools so don’t worry if it still looks a little wet on the stove. Remove it from the heat as soon as it reaches temperature and pour it into a heat-safe jar or bowl to cool completely. If you cook your jam down too much on the stove, it will cool too thick and stodgy.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON THUMBPRINT COOKIES with HOMEMADE RASPBERRY JAM
Your jam will need time to cool, so we’re going to make it first. In a pot, stir together all three of your ingredients and place on the stove over medium-high heat. This is a small batch of jam so stir it regularly as it starts to come together. Once the mixture begins to boil, use your digital thermometer to monitor the temperature. You don’t need to keep it in there the whole time but every minute or so at the start check to see where you’re at. As the temperature starts to rise, check it more frequently to be careful not to overcook your jam. Once your jam reaches 220F, immediately remove your pot from the heat and pour your jam into a heat-safe jar or bowl. This will ensure it stops cooking and starts to cool. Leave at room temperature to cool while you prepare your thumbprint dough.
Line a baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper (whatever will fit into your fridge). Then, using a hand or standing mixer, cream together your softened butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. This will take about two minutes, and you’ll notice your mixture will lighten as you beat it. Add in your egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest and beat until combined. Separately, use a whisk to mix together your dry ingredients – flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder – in a bowl. Add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture, until just incorporated.
Using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, plate portions of your dough on your prepared baking sheet or plate. Since this dough is on the sticky side, lightly dampen your hands before rolling each of the scoops into balls. Dampen your thumb and gently press into the center of each dough ball to form a slight indent. Pressing about two-thirds of the way in, not all the way to the bottom. Pop your tray into the fridge for 20 minutes, to firm up the dough.
At the 10-minute mark, preheat your oven to 350F. Once chilled, place your cookies about two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet, keeping the rest in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. You can place your jam into a piping bag or use a spoon to fill each indent in your cookies. Bake your cookies for 8 minutes before removing them from the oven and allowing them to set on the tray for an additional two minutes. Remove from the baking sheet onto a wire rack to cool completely and enjoy!
3 reasons you’ll love these cookies
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- I love lemon and raspberry – they truly are flavor bffs – but if you prefer a different jam, you can easily use your own or simply swap the raspberries in the jam below for something like blueberries or strawberries (or a mix!)
- The below recipe uses a single tablespoon scoop, making small cookies – perfect for little bites. If you prefer a larger thumbprint cookie, scoop out two tablespoon-sized balls and bake for 10 instead of 8 minutes
- This cookie dough is on the stickier side. To make it easy to roll and indent the cookies, lightly dampen your hands ahead of shaping so the dough doesn’t stick to your hands
- When forming your indents, press about two-thirds of the way into the center of your dough ball but not all the way through to the bottom
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
The homemade raspberry jam stored in an airtight jar will last in the fridge for up to three months. It’s truly the best jam so make extra because you won’t be able to deny yourself a little jam on a slice of toast if it’s just chilling in your fridge.
If you want to prep your lemon thumbprint dough in advance, I recommend forming your thumbprints and chilling them in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up. Transfer them to an airtight container (placing them between layers of parchment paper) to store in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months. If freezing, place your dough in the fridge overnight to thaw (but stay cold) ahead of baking.
Your baked lemon raspberry thumbprint cookies should be stored in an airtight container. They will last at room temperature for about a week or in the freezer for up to three months. If freezing, set out at room temperature for a few hours to thaw before eating.
MORE COOKIE RECIPES
For a dose of happiness, these Rainbow Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies are made with simple ingredients and joy in every bite. Looking for something soft but with a little bit of spice? Try these Big Soft Ginger Cookies, a family favorite filled with all the cozy flavors.
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Cookie Scoop, 1 tablespoon-sized
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Microplane
- Whisk
- Pot
- Spatula
- Digital Thermometer
- Heat-safe jar or bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Start by making your jam: Stir together all of your ingredients in a pot and place over medium-high heat, make sure to stir regularly. Once the mixture starts to boil, use your thermometer to check until it reaches 220F, stirring continuously. Immediately remove from the heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl, cooling to room temperature. If making in advance, store in an airtight container in the fridge
- Line a baking sheet or large plate (whatever will fit into your fridge) with parchment paper
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes
- Add the egg, lemon juice, and lemon zest, and beat until fully combined
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just incorporated
- Scoop out tablespoon-sized portions of dough. This is a sticky dough so lightly dampen your hands before rolling them into balls
- Place the dough balls on the prepared baking sheet or a large plate
- Dampen your thumb and press into the center of each dough ball to form a slight indent, about two-thirds of the way in. You don’t want to press through to the bottom, just enough to make a well for your jam
- Place in the fridge for 20 minutes, halfway through preheat your oven to 350F
- Remove the cookies from the fridge and place half on a parchment-lined baking sheet, placing the rest in the fridge until ready to bake. Using a spoon, fill the center of each cookie with your jam
- Place your cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for about 8 minutes
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely
- Enjoy!
