Buttery Thumbprint Cookies with Ball® No Sugar Strawberry Jam
This post is sponsored by the makers of Ball® home canning products.*
Is there anything sweeter than a buttery thumbprint cookie filled with delicious homemade jam during the holidays? They are the perfect sweet treat to remind us of all of the fun that we had in our gardens over the warmer months. I made this Ball® No Sugar Strawberry Jam back in June, and it is so lovely to finally pop open a jar and use the preserves in our winter baking!
This recipe is a delicious cookie and jam pairing that is perfect for your holiday baking list. Soft, buttery thumbprint cookie dough hugs irresistible sweet strawberry jam creating one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes!
enjoying preserves in winter:
One of the many reasons that I began canning was to be able to preserve the food that I was growing in my garden to eat during the winter months. I had grand ideas of living solely off of the food that we grew ourselves. It truly is a beautiful thing to be able to wander down to the cellar and pick a jar of jam off of the shelves. I love having a variety of flavors for different occasions!
This recipe for Ball® No Sugar Strawberry Jam is perfect for holiday cookies. It’s simple and sweet, and I love the pretty red-pink color that help invite in the essence of the winter holidays.
tips for making thumbprint cookies:
It’s Okay if the Dough is Soft! The dough for these cookies is super soft, and that’s okay. If the cookies are too cold, they can bake with cracks around the edges. If you want them to remain as perfect circles, you will want a little bit of both worlds. The butter should not be completely warm and melting either. For the best results, use semi-softened butter, such as a stick that has been left on the counter for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Use a Wooden Spoon. Do you want your cookies to have nice deep and uniform divots? Try using the end of the handle of a wooden spoon rather than your thumb! The thumb tends to make wide, shallow divots in the cookies. I am using the end of a rounded wooden mallet to make my divots in the photo above!
Don’t Ovefill your Cookies. Only fill just to the edge of the divot, else you might have a jammy mess on your cookie sheet! Since the jam has already been cooked to a high temperature, cooking it again in the oven causes it to really gel up, which is great for a cookie that is going to sit out on the counter for potential hours at a time. However, if they are filled too high, the jam can pop and overflow out of the cookie, resulting in jam all over the baking sheet and none in your cookie!
final thoughts:
I just love these cookies, and they are made all the better with my dear friends’ Ball® Strawberry No Sugar Jam. It’s the perfect treat to warm you up on a chilly winter’s day! What are your favorite Christmas cookies to bake this time of year?
You will have to put this jam on your canning list for next spring!
xoxo Kayla
*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post that is part of an ongoing partnership with the Fresh Preserving Division of Newell Brands. They have provided jars, equipment and monetary compensation. All thoughts and opinions expressed remain my own.
Buttery Thumbprint Cookies with Ball® No Sugar Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 1 cup (232 g) salted butter
- 2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (325 g) all-purpose flour
- 8 oz (120 ml) Ball® No Sugar Strawberry Jam
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C). Set aside 2 large baking sheets for now.
- In the bowl of an electric standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated, about 2 to 3 minutes more. Then, beat in the vanilla.
- Stir in the flour, bringing the dough together until it is cohesive and soft, another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Divide the dough into balls about 2 tablespoons in size. Arrange the cookies about 2-inches (5-cm) apart on the baking sheets. With your finger or the end of a thin wooden spoon, make divets into the cookies. Fill each cookie with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
- Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and set. Let them rest on the baking sheets for at least 5 minutes before transferring them to wire cooling racks with a spatula.
- Enjoy the cookies with a dusting of powdered sugar!
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Schackrutor, translating to “chess squares,” are traditional Swedish cookies known for their striking checkerboard or striped pattern.