Sugar Plum Thumbprint Cookies

Don’t limit yourself to visions of sugar plum fairies dancing in your head—bake a batch of these thumbprint cookies and enjoy sugar plums in your belly as well! These buttery cookies are a spin on the classic thumbprint cookie, which is a shortbread-style cookie with an indent pressed into its center filled with jam. The soft, sticky fruit filling is a delicious contrast to the tender, crumbly cookie. Delicate, sweet and colorful, these are a classic Christmas cookie pretty enough to share as a gift.

In this sugar plum thumbprint cookies recipe, we use a homemade jam made from sugar plums. Fun fact: Holiday sugar plums aren’t actually fresh fruits, which wouldn’t be seasonal in December. They’re actually dried plums (known as prunes), which are sweeter, denser and more tender than fresh plums.

Ingredients for Sugar Plum Thumbprint Cookies

For the jam:

• Dried pitted prunes: You can usually buy pitted prunes, but if you can’t find them, simply slice the prunes in half and remove each pit with the tip of the knife. The rich, aromatic dried plums should be sticky and moist.
• Water: Adding water to the dried fruit helps soften it and makes the jam thin enough to spread.
• Orange juice and zest: A squeeze of fresh orange adds acidity to balance the sweet prunes. Use a Microplane to zest the orange. The bright, fragrant taste seasons the jam.
• Spices: Ground cinnamon is warm and cozy. If your cinnamon doesn’t have much of a smell, it might be time to buy a new jar.

For the thumbprint cookie dough:

• Butter: Let the butter come to room temperature before beating it with sugar, a process known as creaming that incorporates air into the batter and makes for light cookies. You can soften butter quickly by cutting it into small cubes and letting it sit on the counter.
• Sugar: Use plain white granulated sugar, which contributes to the cookies’ pleasantly sandy texture.
• Egg yolks: Make sure to use room-temperature eggs, which are easier to incorporate into the batter. After separating the yolks, reserve the egg whites for omelets or meringue.
• Vanilla extract: In cookies without added spices, you can really taste the vanilla extract. High-quality vanilla brands have the most delicate, aromatic flavor.
• All-purpose flour: To achieve the crumbly, tender texture of shortbread, make sure not to add too much flour. To measure flour properly, scoop it by the spoonful into the measuring cup, then level the top with the flat side of a knife. Don’t pack the flour into the cup or the baked goods will be dense.
• Salt: It may seem strange, but most baked goods include salt. It balances the sugar and draws the full flavor out of each ingredient.
• Water: You’ll need a little water to make the cookie dough soft enough to shape. Don’t be tempted to go overboard with it and add extra water—while the dough will be more pliable, the cookies may get tough.

For the crumble:

• Quick-cooking oats: Use the finer, quick-cooking oats. Other varieties of oats, such as rolled, will not have enough time or moisture to cook.
• Sugar: More granulated sugar sweetens the crumbly topping. You can swap in brown sugar if you prefer.
• Butter: Softened butter provides the moisture that binds the oats and sugar together. It also adds the rich fat that makes for a beautifully oven-browned topping.

Directions

Step 1: Make the jam

In a small saucepan, combine the chopped prunes, water, orange juice, cinnamon and orange zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the prunes are softened, about three minutes. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly.

Place the jam in a food processor or high-powered blender. Process until smooth. Set aside.

Editor’s Tip: If you’re used to making homemade jam, you may notice that this recipe has a much shorter cooking time. That’s because the prunes are already super soft and thick, without much moisture to cook off. If your prunes are a bit dry from the store, soak them in boiling water for 10 to 20 minutes, then drain them and prepare the jam.

Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla.

Step 3: Add the dry ingredients

In another bowl, whisk the flour and salt. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the creamed mixture.

If the batter is dry, add water by the teaspoon until the dough holds together when pressed.

Step 4: Shape the cookies

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place them 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in center of each with the end of a wooden spoon handle. Fill with the prepared jam.

Editor’s Tip: We use a spoon to hollow the center, but you can also use your thumb, making a true thumbprint.

Step 5: Top with the crumble

In a small bowl, combine the quick-cooking oats, sugar and softened butter. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the oats and sugar until crumbly and sandlike. Sprinkle the crumble over the jam.

Step 6: Bake

Bake until the cookie edges are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Sugar Plum Thumbprint Cookie Variations

• Play with the crumble: Add some crunch by stirring finely chopped nuts (think soft nuts, like walnuts or pecans) into the crumble. Or, you can omit the crumble entirely to save time.
• Mix up the filling: Any type of fruit jam, jelly or preserve is yummy in a thumbprint cookie. Try lemon curd, orange marmalade, strawberry jam or raspberry jelly. You can even use a variety of jams for a very colorful cookie platter.
• Go chocolaty: Alternatively, bake the cookies without any filling. When they’re cool, fill with a dollop of chocolate frosting or Nutella.

How to Store Sugar Plum Thumbprint Cookies

Store sugar plum thumbprint cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. They will soften a bit as they sit, since moisture from the jam will absorb into the cookie, but they’ll still be delicious.

Can you freeze sugar plum thumbprint cookies?

Yes, most cookies freeze well, including thumbprint cookies. For the absolute best results, freeze the cookies unfilled and make the jam after defrosting the cookies. You can also freeze the cookies filled for convenience, but the texture may be a bit softer. Whether filled or unfilled, allow the cookies to cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Once solid, transfer the cookies to an airtight freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to two months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Can you make sugar plum thumbprints ahead of time?

You can make elements of this sugar plum thumbprint cookie recipe in advance. Make the jam up to five days ahead of time, allow to cool and store tightly covered in the refrigerator. Make the unbaked cookie dough up to three days in advance. Wrap it well in two layers of storage wrap and refrigerate until ready to fill and bake.

Sugar Plum Thumbprint Cookie Tips

How do you keep the cookies from cracking too much while baking?

Cookies crack when the outside of the cookie gets firm and sets before the inside has finished releasing moisture. The resulting steam breaks through the outer crust, causing cracks. It’s not a huge deal for flavor, but cracked cookies aren’t quite as pretty. (Although, sometimes you do want that cracked look, as when baking crinkle cookies.)

The biggest cause of cracks is a too-hot oven, which causes that outside to get very firm very fast. If your cookies crack often, invest in an oven thermometer to monitor the actual temperature of the oven. Some ovens can run 20 to 50 degrees hotter or cooler than the setting!

Why did my cookies spread while baking?

The main reason cookies spread is because the butter gets too warm, so as the cookies bake, the butter melts and spreads before the flour is firmed and set. Be careful not to overbeat the butter and sugar. If you feel the cookie dough is quite soft or greasy as you shape the cookies, return the dough to the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to let the butter firm back up.