Tender almond-butter cookies with small baked wells of cherry preserves, a home variation on Italian jam-filled butter cookies.
Cherry Almond Thumbprints
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Allow about 127 minutes: 35 hands-on, 30 chilling or resting, 32 whole-batch cooking and 30 cooling/setting. Cooling includes tray rest. Follow the method for batch sizes and doneness cues.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Kitchen scale and US measuring tools
- Mixing bowl and hand mixer or wooden spoon
- Rounded measuring teaspoon for wells
- Two parchment-lined 13 × 18-inch baking sheets
- Cooling rack
Tender almond-butter cookies with small baked wells of cherry preserves, a home variation on Italian jam-filled butter cookies.
Ingredients
Optional sprinkles are for decoration and are not included in the nutrition estimate. Spice weights are approximate.
Instructions
Mix a short dough
- 1Mix a short doughBeat butter and sugar just until smooth. Mix in yolk, milk, vanilla and salt. Fold in both flours, pressing gently until the dough holds together without kneading.
Shape and chill
- 2Shape and chillDivide dough into 24 balls, about 21 g each. Place 12 per parchment-lined 13 × 18-inch sheet. Press each into a thick round and make a 3/4-inch-wide well with a rounded measuring spoon, keeping dough beneath the well. Chill the shaped cookies for 30 minutes.
Fill and bake
- 3Fill and bakeHeat the oven to 350°F (177°C) conventional or 325°F (163°C) fan. Spoon 5 g of preserves into each well. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 14–16 minutes each, 32 minutes total, until the rims and bases turn light gold and the filling bubbles gently.
Cool the hot filling
- 4Cool the hot fillingRest each batch on its sheet for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Do not handle the jam while hot; allow 30 minutes after the last batch before packing.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Chop large cherry pieces so every well gets a balanced filling.
Technique & texture
Make broad shallow wells rather than puncturing the cookie base.
Finishing & serving
Minimal creaming keeps the thumbprints from spreading excessively.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 2 days | Keep cool cookies airtight in a cool room, in a single layer. |
| Refrigeration | Up to 5 days total | Refrigerate airtight; time includes any room-temperature storage. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 1 month | Freeze shaped unfilled cookies airtight; thaw in the refrigerator before filling and baking. |
| Baked freezing | Up to 1 month | Freeze cooled cookies in one layer before packing with parchment. |
| Restoring | Before serving | Thaw covered in the refrigerator; bring the portion being served to room temperature. |
Notes
- Chop large cherry pieces so every well gets a balanced filling. Make broad shallow wells rather than puncturing the cookie base. Minimal creaming keeps the thumbprints from spreading excessively. This home formula has not been kitchen-tested.
Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving calculated from ingredient weights divided by 24; required fillings and toppings included, optional decorations excluded. Brands, unused coating and actual serving size affect the estimate.
THE COOKIE INDEXITALIANCHRISTMAS COOKIES
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use fresh cherries?
Use thick preserves here. Fresh fruit releases water and needs a separately developed filling.
Why did the wells crack?
Press the dough while still pliable, then chill; smooth small rim cracks with your fingers.
Should I add jam before or after baking?
This formula bakes the measured preserves in the wells so the filling settles with the cookie.
Follow The Cookie Index on Pinterest
Share a little Italian Christmas joy
Send this recipe to someone who loves to bake.
