Thumbprint Cookies with Icing Recipe (2024)

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Here is a Thumbprint Cookies with Icing Recipe that you can turn into any flavor you want! I ended up making some Cherry Pie Thumbprint cookies but if you like a different flavor I encourage you to get creative with this one!

I love cherry anything so it just seemed fitting.

These cookies are also a fun and delicious homemade gift idea too. Perfect if you bake cookies around the holidays. Just get a cute little container to wrap them in and you have an instant gift.

I love baking for the postal carriers, trash collectors, teachers etc… They always love a little gift to make them feel appreciated and I love to give it.

In fact, today on my way home I stopped to pick up the mail and saw our pour mail lady outside freezing her tail off just to make sure we get our mail on time. She wasn’t even close to my mailbox so I knew she would be there at least another hour or maybe even two.

I hurried home and made her a homemade cup of hot cocoa and topped it with peppermint whipped cream. I drove back to the mailbox area and gave it to her. She was so appreciative! It’s the little things like this that absolutely melt my heart.

I love being able to show a little appreciation for the people who do so much for me on a daily basis. Hey, I run a deal site and I get lots of mail! I owe her big time! lol

Pro Tip: We have since learned that baking with silicone mats helps to make the perfect cookie ever single time and we use them now.

Not that you can’t bake with out them but it really helps the cookie bake perfectly without fail! If you don’t have them, do yourself a favor and get a pair of Silicone Baking Mats for under $20! You will thank me later!

Thumbprint Cookies with Icing Recipe

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Cream together butter and sugar.
  3. Mix in flour (dough will look crumbly).
  4. Roll dough into round balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  5. Make thumbprints in each dough ball and fill with your a cherry from the pie filling.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes until edges start to get lightly brown and cookie sets up.
  7. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 15 minutes.
  8. Mix powdered sugar with milk and vanilla to make a thick glaze.
  9. Place in corner of zipper bag and clip corner to pipe.
  10. Pipe perpendicular lines across cookie to decorate.

Here’s the photos of our process:

Here’s a printable version of the Thumbprint cookies with Icing recipe:

Thumbprint Cookies with Icing Recipe (4)

Thumbprint Cookies with Icing Recipe

This recipe makes the best thumbprint recipes ever! Change up the filling to your favorite.

5 from 3 votes

Course Dessert

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375.

  • Cream together butter and sugar.

  • Mix in flour (dough will look crumbly).

  • Roll dough into round balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

  • Make thumbprints in each dough ball and fill with your a cherry from the pie filling.

  • Bake for 15 minutes until edges start to get lightly brown and cookie sets up.

  • Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 15 minutes.

  • Mix powdered sugar with milk and vanilla to make a thick glaze.

  • Place in corner of zipper bag and clip corner to pipe.

  • Pipe perpendicular lines across cookie to decorate.

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy.

Tried this recipe? Mention @ISaveA2Z or tag #KetoFriendlyRecipes!

If you happen to be looking for other homemade gift ideas I have a few here!

Now if you like to give homemade Gifts in a Jar, then we have a few good ideas for you to try:

  • Homemade Coffee Sugar Scrub Recipe In a Jar
  • Homemade Peppermint Sugar Scrub Recipe In a Jar
  • Mary Kay’s Satin Hands Copycat Sugar Scrub recipe In a Jar (This is our most popular recipe)
  • Brown Sugar Scrub Recipe In a Jar
  • Easy Lemon Sugar Scrub Recipe In a Jar
  • Homemade Body Butter Cream Recipe (Lavander) In a Jar

All of our Sugar Scrub recipes are extremely popular and worth trying!

We also have a ton of very popular holiday recipe ideas if you are looking for something edible! Try anyone of these:

  • Easy Rudolph Reindeer Truffles Recipe (these are so adorable)
  • Gingerbread marshmallow pops
  • Santa Rice Krispies
  • Donut Snowman on a stick! (these are a favorite with my kiddos!)
  • Snowman Truffles Recipe
  • White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies Recipe
  • Chocolate Cherry Mice Recipe
  • Easy Peppermint Cookies Recipe
Thumbprint Cookies with Icing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my thumbprint cookies falling apart? ›

The dough should be chilled for at least 30 minutes, so that you can shape it into balls and indent without falling apart. Check that your oven temperature isn't too high.

How do you keep thumbprint cookies from spreading? ›

“When chilled cookies bake, the butter stays in a solid form longer, slowing the spread,” says Dawn. “30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator does wonders, and you can bake the cookies right from the fridge.” Not only will chilling help the fats firm up and the flour hydrate, but it also helps the flavors develop.

Why do my thumbprint cookies crack? ›

Why do my Thumbprint Cookies crack? Make sure when you are pressing the back of the teaspoon or your thumb into the center of the cookie dough you don't press too hard. Gently press!

Do you put icing before or after baking cookies? ›

The first step to making beautifully decorated cookies is making sure the cookies are completely cooled when you begin adding the icing. Play it safe by making it a two-day process: Bake the cookies one day, then decorate the next day.

Why are my thumbprint cookies dry? ›

Overmixing the dough

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, water, or even melted butter. You may also need to add more flour to the dough if it is too wet.

What is the shelf life of thumbprint cookies? ›

Store thumbprint cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week. You can keep them at room temperature or in the fridge.

Why did my cookies rise and then fall? ›

Dough that's too airy.

The goal, usually, is to only incorporate the two ingredients without reaching the "light and fluffy" stage. When you mix the butter and sugar together at high speed or for too long, you'll aerate the dough excessively, causing the cookies to rise—and then fall—in the oven.

Do thumbprint cookies mail well? ›

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.

What two things can prevent a cookie from spreading? ›

If all you have on hand is foil and you don't like thin and crispy cookies, try chilling your dough before baking to prevent excess spreading — or just skip the lining altogether and bake them on an ungreased sheet pan. A nonstick silicone cookie mat made the best cookies of all the tests I tried.

How do you transport thumbprint cookies? ›

Stuff the tin or container with tissue paper (here's a festive option!), crumbled newspaper, or packing peanuts to keep the cookies snug. Place the tin or container into a shipping box and use more crumbled newspaper or other shipping materials if needed. Then send off!

Should you refrigerate thumbprint cookies? ›

No. After baking, thumbprint cookies do not need to be refrigerated. To store them, simply save in an airtight container at room temperature. You can store them in the refrigerator if you prefer, but it's not necessary.

Why do my thumbprint cookies go flat? ›

The most common reason that thumbprint cookies may go flat is an incorrect ratio of butter to flour. Be sure to follow my tips above for properly measuring flour. How do you keep Thumbprint Cookies from cracking? The best way to keep thumbprint cookies from cracking and to keep them soft is to use cornstarch.

What is another name for thumbprint cookies? ›

Hallongrotta (plural: hallongrottor) is the name of a common Swedish cookie. The name means raspberry cave in Swedish. In the United States they are known as thumbprint cookies, as well as by many other names. Similar cookies sold in Australia are known as jam drops.

Does the order of ingredients matter when baking cookies? ›

The Chemistry Behind Baking Cookies

Just like in the laboratory, even the seemingly smallest changes can affect the outcome — oven temperature variations, moisture and even the order in which you add the ingredients are just a few of the factors that can affect texture and taste.

Do you sprinkle cookies before or after baking? ›

If cookies need to be flattened before baking, use the bottom of a drinking glass, a fork or your thumb. You can also try adding sprinkles to your cookies before baking, but depending on the recipe, they may melt in the oven.

What do you put cookies in after baking? ›

Room temperature: Use airtight containers, cookie jars, or plastic bags to prevent air exposure and moisture loss. Keep cookies in a cool, dry area. Refrigerated: Use airtight containers or sealed plastic bags to store cookies in the fridge.

Should you shape cookies before baking? ›

The key is to beautify the balls of dough before they even hit the oven, and then to reshape the cookies the moment they exit the oven.

References

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