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Heart-Shaped Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies with sparkling sugar edges and a sweet, glossy, heart-shaped jam center. Perfect for Valentine's Day!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 44 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 115

Ingredients
  

Cookie Dough
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 0.66 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp almond extract optional
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
Coating and Filling
  • 0.33 cup coarse sanding sugar or turbinado sugar for rolling
  • 0.5 cup strawberry or raspberry jam

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Baking sheets
  • Parchment paper
  • Wire rack

Method
 

  1. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).
  2. Beat in the vanilla extract and almond extract until well combined.
  3. Whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined.
  4. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in the coarse sanding sugar until coated.
  7. Place balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Use your thumb or the back of a small spoon to press two overlapping indentations to form a heart shape.
  8. Fill each heart indentation with about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of jam.
  9. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Chilling the dough is essential to prevent the cookies from spreading and losing their heart shape in the oven. For extra insurance, freeze the shaped and filled cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes right before baking.