These heart-shaped thumbprint cookies are absolutely delicious! The lemon shortbread base has a decadent, buttery flavor that perfectly complements the sweet, fruity strawberry jam filling. Its texture is crisp yet slightly chewy at the same time. This recipe is simple and easy to follow, so you can quickly whip up a batch for any occasion.
Ingredients You’ll Need & Why It Works:
Unsalted Butter: Cold unsalted butter is key in creating these thumbprint cookies. The fat lipids found in butter significantly impact the gluten formation process by decreasing the length of gluten strands. This results in flaky and crumbly cookies, thanks to the butter’s high fat and low moisture content. Additionally, butter also imparts softness and improves the flavor of these cookies.
Granulated Sugar: Sugar has a unique property of attracting to liquids in this the dough, ensuring these cookies remain tender and moist. Additionally, granulated sugar allows for a crisp texture.
Light Brown Sugar: The molasses in light brown sugar provides moisture to these cookies and imparts the chewy texture we all love. However, if brown sugar isn’t available, combining one cup of white granulated sugar and one tablespoon of molasses can be a suitable substitute. Just ensure that the ingredients are well combined.
Egg Yolk: This single egg yolk contains lecithin, an emulsifier that binds fats and liquids together in the shortbread dough. More importantly, the yolk adds a depth of flavor, enhancing the overall richness of these cookies.
Almond Extract: Adding almond extract to the cookie dough creates a delightful almond flavor that pairs well with the lemon zest and strawberry jam.
Vanilla Extract: Using high-quality vanilla extract has a few benefits, including its consistent flavor, which ensures consistent results every time. Additionally, the vanilla extract balances and enhances the other flavor nuances in these cookies, making them even more delightful.
All-Purpose Flour: The protein content present in all-purpose flour is ideal for yielding adequate structure to these cookies. Additionally, all-purpose flour helps absorb liquids in the dough and binds all other ingredients together.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch works in tandem with the flour to absorb liquids in the dough, but without developing gluten structure like flour does. This results in a softer, more tender crumb and chewier texture. Additionally, it prevents the cookies from spreading too much during the baking process.
Table Salt: Including a pinch of salt in your cookie batter adds depth and complexity and aids in harmonizing the other flavors in the cookies.
Lemon Zest: Lemon zest imparts a citrusy lemon flavor to these cookies, which pairs well with the strawberry jam and its buttery shortbread base. To enhance the concentration of lemon flavor, incorporate freshly grated lemon zest with granulated sugar. Use your fingertips or a small spoon to rub the mixture together. This technique is highly effective in extracting and releasing the natural oils of the lemon zest, infusing the sugar with a burst of lemony essence.
Strawberry Jam: Strawberry jam perfectly pairs well with the tangy zest of lemon and the buttery flavor of these cookies, but if you prefer a different taste, feel free to use any flavor of jam that you desire.
Tips for Making Strawberry Lemon Heart Thumbprint Cookies:
Chill Dough — Be sure to chill the shortbread dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour prior to rolling and cutting. This will help make the process easier, allowing you to stamp out the heart design with a more pronounced imprint on the dough.
Cold Butter — Using cold butter in this recipe is key, as it prevents the butter from becoming too soft or melting too quickly. As the paddle attachment on the stand mixer beats the cold butter for one full minute at medium-high speed, the friction from this action will warm the butter to the optimal temperature of around 65℉.
Cream Butter & Sugar — When creaming butter and sugar, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl is essential, ensuring that the mixture is thoroughly creamed for an even distribution.
Parchment Paper — To make sure the shortbread dough doesn’t stick to the counter or rolling pin, it’s helpful to place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom and top of the dough before rolling it out. This simple trick will make the process much smoother and prevent any frustration caused by dough that’s difficult to handle.
Flour Cookie Stamp — If you encounter difficulties imprinting the heart thumbprint design, dip the stamper into a small bowl of flour and shake off any excess. This method prevents the cookie dough from adhering to the stamp upon lifting and preserves the design. Additionally, a small offset spatula will make transferring the cookies to a baking tray easier after cutting them out.
Stamp Alternatives — If you don’t have a heart thumbprint stamp, there are other alternatives for shaping these cookies. The first option is to roll the dough into small balls, measuring about a tablespoon each. Slightly flatten the ball and create a heart-shaped imprint in the center of each cookie by using your pinky finger. The second option involves using a teaspoon for the classic thumbprint indentation in the middle of the cookie. Alternatively, you can use any thumbprint cookie cutter about 2 inches in size.
Freeze Before Baking — To keep the heart-shaped design of your cookies after cutting them out, put the tray of cookies into the freezer for at least 30 minutes before popping them into the oven. This step is essential for the cookies to maintain their design and structural integrity.
Step by Step Instructions — Filling & Baking Strawberry Lemon Heart Thumbprint Cookies:
Roll out cookie dough to a thickness of 3/8″. Using a heart thumbprint cookie stamp, cut out shapes. Place cut cookies about half an inch apart onto a tray lined with parchment (photo 1). Repeat the process until the cookie dough is used up. Preheat oven to 375°F. Fill each thumbprint cavity with strawberry jam (photo 2). Freeze cookies for 30 minutes. Bake for 13-14 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow cookies to cool for 20 minutes before dusting them with powdered sugar.
Storing & Freezing Instruction for Strawberry Lemon Heart Thumbprint Cookies:
To Store Cookies — Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days.
To Freeze Cookies — There are a few options for freezing these cookies. The first option is to follow the recipe up to step #4. Freeze cookies for 30 minutes on the sheet pan, then place the frozen pre-cut cookies into a resealable bag and freeze. The second option is to freeze the shortbread dough to use later. If you opt for option 1, there’s no need to thaw the cookies before baking. Follow baking instructions. For option 2, transfer the dough to the fridge to thaw overnight. The next day, roll out cookies and follow the remaining instructions on the recipe card. You can store the cookie dough in the freezer for three months.
Strawberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Rolling pin with thickness rings
- Heart thumbprint cookie cutter or a 2" cookie cutter
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter cold, cubed
- 80 g granulated sugar
- 40 g light brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 260 g all-purpose flour
- 20 g cornstarch
- 50 g strawberry jam
- Zest of one lemon
- 6 g powdered sugar dusting, optional
Instructions
Sugar Infused Lemon Zest —
- In the bowl of granulated sugar, add freshly grated lemon zest. Mix it well using your fingertips or a spoon until it becomes fragrant. Set aside.
Thumbprint Shortbread Dough:
- Whisk together all-purpose flour, salt, and cornstarch in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cold butter for a full minute at medium speed. Add granulated (lemon sugar) and light brown sugar and beat for an additional 2 minutes at medium speed. Remember to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl to ensure it is thoroughly combined. Next, add vanilla extract, almond extract, and egg yolk. Beat briefly to combine. Add flour mixture in 2 additions. Incorporate until just combined. The dough will look crumbly.
- Pour the crumbly dough onto a work area. Using your hands, quickly bring the dough together in the shape of a cohesive disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Before rolling out the dough, place a sheet of parchment paper on the top and bottom of the dough. Roll the dough out to a thickness of 3/8". Using a heart thumbprint cookie stamp, cut out shapes. Place cut cookies about half an inch apart onto a tray lined with parchment. Repeat the process until the cookie dough is used up.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Fill each thumbprint cavity with strawberry jam. Freeze cookies for 30 minutes. Bake for 13-14 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Allow cookies to cool on the tray for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Once completely cool, sprinkle cookies with a light layer of powdered sugar. Enjoy!
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