11.18.10 Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies
I love how a taste or scent can magically transport you to another time and place. Thumbprint cookies do just that, taking me back 20 years, to my friend’s kitchen, which was always a perfect place to snack after school. There were peppermint patties on the mantle, fruit snacks and bags of cheetos in the pantry, and on the especially good days, whoopie pies or thumbprint cookies cooling on the kitchen island. Not a bad place to visit when you are a ten-year-old, or at any age for that matter—especially since they still have candy on the mantle, and I still stuff my pockets full (some things never change).
Perhaps it goes without saying that Mrs. C’s thumbprint cookies are the best. There are oodles of thumbprint recipes out there, but I have been tasting these cookies for 25 years, and I still look forward to the next batch. The sugar cookie base is what makes it, with a perfectly sweet, chewy crunch. For a pre-Thanksgiving treat, I thought it would be fun to play with the jam, but luckily these are year-round cookies, as the preserves can be changed with the seasons.
I hope you enjoy the holiday and if you are planning your menu, I am sharing a few of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes from around the web at The Green Phone Booth today here.
Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies
makes 32 cookies
cranberry jam
12 oz fresh cranberries
1/2 c fresh orange juice
1/2 c water
5-6 T sugar
sugar cookies
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
1 egg
1/2 c shortening
In a medium sauce pan, combine cranberries, orange juice, water and 4 T sugar, over low heat. Cover and allow to cook, 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste, adding more sugar to desired sweetness. Cook an additional 10-15 minutes, until mixture thickens and most of the large cranberries pieces have dissolved. Cool in fridge.
Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, salt and baking soda. Stir in vanilla and egg. Add shortening, and combine well with a pastry blender or spoon. Place rounded teaspoons of dough on a greased cookie sheet (these should be small, making 32 cookies total—enough for two baking sheets). With your thumb, make an indent in each of the cookies, and add a teaspoon of cranberry jam.
Transfer to oven and bake 8-10 minutes, until edges begin to brown.
Reader Comments (29)
I have never tried a sugar cookie based thumbprint, what a delicious idea. The cranberries are a most lovely addition.
Cranberries! It's perfect. I love the idea of the sweet and tart contrast. They look gorgeous.
Thumbprint cookies have been in my mom's and my Christmas cookie repertoire for years! Apricot and blueberry jams are some of our favorites, now I need to try the cranberry.
This looks delicious! I was just thinking about ways to use fresh cranberries too, so this is perfect :)
Dearest sweet erin, these cookies are yummieee and they look so pretty! cranberries are my favorite and this would be perfect to make. Such a wonderful delight too for the upcoming thanksgiving! Have a lovely merry happy weekend and love to you!
Your thumbprints look festive with the ruby red of the cranberry jam.
these look fantastic!
Love the homemade look and feel of these cookies. The cranberry jam sounds so delicious! What a perfect start for holiday baking!
I'm so looking forward to trying these cookies. We have so many cranberries! I'm thrilled that you made them into a cookie!
How festive! These look delicious!
these remind me so much of bachelor buttons, which are my favorite cookie. the only difference is that instead of jam in the center, you swizzle a bit of icing. thanks for sharing your recipe. i look forward to trying it, especially with the jam.
I am trying these right now - is there an ingredient missing? My dough is coming out very dry and crumbly - not moist like the pictures at all....
Hmmm... Lisa, I am not sure. I made them twice in the last month and the dough is dry, but you should be able to roll into a ball without a problem. Possibly add a T or 2 of water?
Lisa, I'm making these now as well and have the same problem! Looks like crumbs! There is no way these will form a ball.
oh those cookies look great, especially for this time of year!
I did end up squishing the dough into balls, but they spread and came out of the oven flat...although they were tasty! I may try again...did you use butter or shortening? Was it room temp or cold?
These are so pretty I am determined to get them figured out!
Perfectly sweet, chewy crunch! Sold! These are such a gorgeous holiday time (or anytime!) treat.
I believe I could eat 50 of those cookies with some milk!
A classic Christmas cookie favorite! I love them!! Looks great and beautiful pictures as always. Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!
Lisa, I have made with both shortening and butter and the butter cookies seem to spread out more. It should be at least room temp (not melted). I would love to find a way to get them more plump as well! For now, I am just glad they are tasty!
Hi Erin, these look amazing. I have only ever had the chocolate variety of thumb print cookie so these look great -very festive with that red center! I will be trying these out asap. yummy. Thank you!!!
The colors are perfect for Christmas I want to try putting some dried green cranberries too to make it more festive! Thanks for the recipe!
Mine spread out and flattened out as well. Followed the recipe exactly with shortening.... not sure what went wrong.
Taste good anyhow, just wish they were pretty.
Do you think these could be made into bars with the jam layer in the center?
Rena sorry for the delay, but yes I think they would make great bars! A second layer of dough or even a crumble topping would be yummy!
Oh, these look so pretty & such a cute name!! They'll compliment my Christmas treats baskets perfectly & I love raspberries!! So excited to make them this weekend!
mine came out way too dry but i added 2 tbsp of almond milk and 1 tbsp of water and i was able to form it into balls. they're in the oven now!
update: they're spreading out really horribly. help!