Description
Delightfully charming Thumbprint Heart Cookies made with a soft buttery dough, baked to golden perfection, and filled with your choice of sweet jam. Perfect for gifting or sharing during special occasions, these cookies combine a classic texture with a festive heart-shaped twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 3⁄4 cup butter (softened, or vegan butter for vegan version)
- 1⁄2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 egg (or 1 tbsp ground flax + 2 tbsp water for vegan)
- 1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1⁄4 tsp salt
Filling
- 1⁄4 cup jam of choice (raspberry, strawberry, apricot, etc.)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and brown sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, which creates a smooth base for the cookie dough.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Incorporate the egg (or flaxseed mixture for vegan version) and vanilla extract into the creamed butter and sugar, mixing until fully combined to form a homogenous mixture.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the all-purpose flour and salt, mixing until a soft dough forms. Take care not to overmix to keep the cookies tender.
- Form Dough Balls: Roll the dough into 1-inch diameter balls and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1½ inches apart to allow for spreading during baking.
- Create Heart Indents: Using your thumb or the rounded back of a teaspoon, gently press twice into the center of each dough ball to form a heart-shaped indentation. Be careful not to press too hard to avoid breaking the dough.
- Bake Cookies: Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges turn a light golden brown, indicating the cookies are cooked through.
- Cool and Reshape Indents: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. If the heart-shaped indentations have softened or filled in, gently reshape them while the cookies are still warm.
- Add Jam Filling: Once completely cooled, spoon a small dollop of your favorite jam into each heart-shaped center, adding a burst of flavor and a lovely visual touch to the cookies.
Notes
- For a vegan version, replace butter with vegan butter and egg with a flaxseed mixture (1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 2 tbsp water).
- Choose jams with smooth textures to prevent overflow during baking.
- If dough feels too sticky, chill for 15 minutes before rolling into balls.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- To keep jam fillings fresh longer, add the jam just before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
