4-Ingredient Jam Thumbprint Cookies

It’s unclear where thumbprint cookies originated because Swedes call them hallongrotta or “raspberry cave” and Austrians call them jam drops.

They’re also known as Polish tea cakes, butterballs, or bird’s nest cookies!

Regardless of where they originated, they are absolutely delish and a staple Christmas cookie.

It was only when I started researching this recipe that I discovered that most don’t like a cracked thumbprint cookie!

I grew up thinking the cracking was part of the shape!

I personally think thumbprint cookies look more unique and a little less picture-perfect with the cracking, but if you’d like to avoid it, here are few things to try:

1. Make sure the dough is soft when you start rolling it. Chilled, cold dough, is much harder to shape than room-temperature dough.

2. Use the back of a measuring spoon to make the indent. You’ll get a perfect circle this way (but a little too perfect for me).

3. You can always close any cracks in the dough after you’ve made the indent and before baking.

4. Alternatively, make the indent after the cookies have baked. A warm, fresh cookie is less likely to crack than the unbaked dough.

According to Sally’s Baking Addiction, cookies spread because the fat in the cookie dough melts in the oven. If there isn’t enough flour to hold that melted fat, the cookies will over-spread.

Here are a few ways to help your thumbprint cookies from spreading in the oven:

1. Correctly measure the flour. I learned this trick from my mom, but you want to scoop the flour into your measuring cup and then level it with a knife. If you want it even more exact, you’ll use a food scale.

2. Don’t overmix the cookie ingredients. There’s no creaming of the sugar and butter in this recipe, but it is possible to over-knead the dough. Once the dough starts sticking together and is a good consistency for rolling into balls is when you should stop.

3. Use light-colored cookie sheets. Cookies are much more likely to burn and overcook on dark-colored pans.

4. Do not spray your cookie sheets. You’ll see that in the directions, but you don’t need any extra grease for these cookies.

5. Use cool pans. If you double this recipe or make smaller cookies, you’ll want to make sure the pans are completely cooled before adding the next batch. That, or use another cookie sheet.

6. If all else fails and you see your thumbprint cookies spreading in the oven, you can use a metal spoon to push the edges of the cookies back to the center.

Yes and no.

They don’t have to be refrigerated, but they’ll keep longer if you do refrigerate them.

They’ll keep well for 5 days at room temperature, and even longer in the fridge. But keep in mind that baked goods go stale and dry when they’re in the fridge, so it’s best to enjoy these cookies as soon as possible!