Apricot Thumbprint Cookies with Nuts
Thumbprint cookies have a ton of flavor, are easy to change up, look great, but are fairly easy to make. I love that you can fill the indent with just about anything sweet. You can use frosting, jams and jellies, fruit curd, or even candy. If you choose to roll them in nuts, that added texture and flavor is decadent.
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This recipe was originally published on September 11, 2018. It was republished on November 4, 2021 with updates.
Story Time…
If you’ve read my About Me page, you know that I’ve been working on a cookbook featuring my family’s recipes. Every Christmas, my dad’s family has a huge spread of Christmas cookies, so I knew I wanted to get recipes for all of those. Oh. My. Goodness. After emailing the Christmas Cookie Baronesses (my aunts and my Grandmom), I ended up with a huge list of cookies, more than we usually have during the holidays.
These Apricot Thumbprint Cookies made the list and they are so good! While they made it onto my family’s Christmas cookie list, there’s no reason you couldn’t bake them anytime of the year. Thumbprint cookies don’t have any seasonal spices like cloves, cinnamon, or nutmeg that might make them seem like a holiday only treat. However, they do look quite fancy, especially when rolled in nuts.
Apricot Thumbprint Cookies
In fact, I made these in the Spring as a last minute gift for Ben’s preschool teachers a few years ago. I didn’t get much notice and had to bring in something sweet for Teacher Appreciation Week. Luckily, I had almost all of the ingredients on hand.
I absolutely love them filled with chocolate ganache, but I also love apricot thumbprint cookies with nuts. Apricot jam has a bright punch of flavor that doesn’t over power the rest of the cookie.
Let’s Get Baking
This is a very basic cookie dough recipe that could be used as the base for other cookie ideas. Cream together the butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla and combine. Add your dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Use a cookie scoop or an electric scale to portion out your cookies so that they will all be equal size. Roll the scooped dough into a ball and make the indent. If you are coating them in nuts, dip them in the egg whites, then roll them in the nut chips and gently press to coat before making an indent.
Filling Choices
Now for the filling. If you’re going to be using jam, this is the time to scoop and fill those wells with any flavor of jelly you want. I loved the apricot, but strawberry, cherry, or even blueberry are also great choices. If you have a subscription to the Jelly of the Month Club, this is a great way to use the gift that keeps on giving.
If you are filling the cookies with ganache or buttercream, just leave the cookies naked. Chilling the dough will help prevent the indent from disappearing. When the cookies come out of the oven, use your measuring spoon to press down on the indent a bit, just to keep it lookin’ sharp.
Related Reading: 8 Cookie Tips & Tricks You Need to Know
My Notes…
The first time I made these, I didn’t chill the dough at all. They spread a lot. Now I like to chill the dough before and after shaping. Heck! I even chilled the dough overnight because I ran out of time on Day 1. That worked great.
Another secret ingredient to this recipe is the cornstarch. That’s a new addition that makes the cookies a little chewier and helps prevent spreading. I love it! If you want a crisper cookie, just replace the cornstarch with a bit of flour.
Bake times will differ depending on how big of a cookie you make. A tablespoonful will need about 12 minutes, while a teaspoonful will need about 9 minutes. Just be sure to watch them and keep in mind, they will continue to bake just a bit after you take them out of the oven. In fact, they will be super soft, but they will firm up. Look for a golden brown edge along the bottom to know they are done.
Enjoy!
Give your taste buds a break from your regular rotation of cookies and make these Apricot Thumbprint Cookies with Nuts instead. They are quick and easy to make, plus super yummy. The chopped nuts add loads of flavor and texture. What are you going to fill yours with? Tell me how your thumbprint cookies turn out!
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Apricot Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup butter 5.5 oz (softened)
- 3/4 cup sugar 5.5 oz
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 3/4 cups all- purpose flour 8 oz
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 egg whites lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts
- 1/2 cup filling of your choice: frosting, jam, curd, candy
Instructions
- Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar together until well combined. Beat in egg and vanilla until fully incorporated.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Once the dough is combined, wrap in cling wrap and chill for one hour or up to over night.
- When the dough is done chilling, preheat oven to 375°.
- Use a small cookie scoop, tablespoon, or electric scale to portion out the dough and roll into balls. If using a scale, aim for balls that are 25 grams each. Nut Variation: Dip the balls into the egg whites, then roll in the chopped nuts.
- Place cookies 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press 1/2 teaspoon gently into the center of the ball to form a deep indent. Fill the indent with jam, jelly, or curd. If you want to fill with frosting or ganache, leave the indent empty. Chill the prepared cookies for 15 minutes.
- Bake cookies for about 10- 13 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5- 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Once cool, fill the empty cookies with the frosting or ganache of your choice.
Notes
- If you chill the dough overnight, let it sit on the counter for about 15- 20 minutes before shaping.
Colleen
Hi there! I’m Colleen, a novice baker with a passion for learning and improving my bakes… and blunders. On Bakes and Blunders, you can find all sorts of tasty recipes that range in difficulty, but most importantly, I’ll try to explain the reason behind important steps. If you know why a recipe works, you can tweak and adapt it to suit your unique tastes, and you’ll be able to reliably produce some very delicious treats. If you love baking and want to expand and grow your skills, or if you are a casual baker and just need some pointers, my blog is right up your alley! Join me on my baking journey and we’ll learn how to make more impressive recipes together.
6 Comments
Beth
Mmm, these look great, and I can almost taste those nut-crusted ones. As usual, I always enjoy reading the story behind your creations as well as helpful tips.
Colleen
Thanks 😀 I love sharing all these little details!
Eric L Schnur
Loved the taste of these cookies. Made them without nuts.
Only problem was that the dough was too crumbly, it didn’t stick together well, and when I baked them, most of them blended into a big apricot cookie blob. I was able to salvage some of it by cutting up the blob with a knife, but the cookies didn’t really stick together.That said, I ate them anyway and they were delicious.
I’m new to baking. Can anyone tell me what would make the dough more clumpy and less brittle? And help them hold their shape in the oven? I believe I followed the recipe to the letter, though I didn’t use the nuts or egg yolk.
Thanks!
Colleen
I’m sorry you had trouble with the recipe. Did you happen to watch the recipe video(https://youtu.be/miPG6GrYeFs)? If you watch the video, let me know at what step your dough started to look different. That will help me pinpoint what went wrong. Did you measure by weight or volume? Weight is a far more reliable method. It’s possible that you could have added too much flour if you used cups. Next time, if the dough is too dry before chilling, add milk a teaspoon at a time until you have the correct consistency.
The dough should spread in the oven a bit, but it shouldn’t become a giant cookie blob. If the dough got too warm before baking, that could be the problem. To fix that issue, you can always pop the cookie sheet into the fridge for 15 minutes before baking. Hope this helps <3
Mean Green Chef
A classic Christmas Cookie and you can do so much with Thumbprint Cookies too, these look delish! I chill all of my cookie dough before baking too 🙂
Colleen
I love that possibilities are endless with these cookies. I’d love to try them with some apricot preserves or maybe orange marmalade!