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One of my favorite jobs growing up was helping my Grandmother Verdie make her Jam Thumbprint Cookies. I’d watch her as she mixed together all of the basic ingredients for the cookies, butter, sugar, vanilla, egg, and flour until it was all well-combined. She’d divide the dough into fourths and only work with one portion of the dough at a time, leaving the other dough tightly wrapped in her refrigerator.
Using a teaspoon, she’d scoop bits of dough into her hands and then roll them into balls, dropping them onto the cookie sheet as soon as they’d reached the point of being a perfect little ball – about the size of a walnut. We’d talk as she scooped and rolled, rolled and dropped. The rhythm of her scoop, roll, drop dance not missing a beat as we’d talk about whatever wild thing I’d imagined up at the time.
My job was to follow along behind Grandmother to press my thumb into the center of each cookie ball. I would have scrubbed my hands cleaner than they would have been in weeks, just to be able to press my thumb down into the dough balls still slightly warmed from her hands.
As quickly as we started, it seemed we were done with one section of the dough and moving through the remainder. Sometimes, Grandmother would make these cookies for family or church showers and sometimes they were just special treats to go along with our afternoon grape Kool-Aide party she served in her crystal wine glasses. Thinking back on it now, those were the only grapes that ever saw the inside of my Grandmother’s wine glasses, I feel most certain. I’m not entirely sure why she ever even owned those glasses except for my sister and I to sip that Kool-Aide and believe we were the luckiest girls in the world.
At least my hands were clean enough to use them.
Here’s her recipe.
Grandmother’s Jam Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine butter and sugar until creamy. Add in vanilla and egg until well-incorporated and then slowly add flour, baking powder, and salt. Shape dough into a ball. Cut into fourths and wrap each section tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
- Scoop 1 teaspoon of dough and then roll in between the palms of your hands until a ball, about the size of a walnut, has formed. Drop onto a cookie sheet. Press your thumb into the center of the dough ball to form a slight well. Repeat until all dough has been used.
- Place sheet pans in the freezer for about 12 minutes to firm to prevent spreading during baking.
- Bake for about 12-15 minutes until brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slighty.
- Scoop ½ teaspoon of your favorite jam, preserves, or fruit curd to fill the center of the cookie.
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
What is it about making cookies with your Grandmother? It’s a memory that stays with you for a lifetime.
Yum! Just what I need to show off my fresh batch of jam! Thank you!
Awww I really enjoyed reading your story. I wish I grew up with my grandmother and helped her bake but she’s always lived in Korea and I grew up in the States.
Anyway, these cookies look great. I plan on making lemon curd this week so this cookie recipe will come in very handy 🙂
Thanks so much, Chung-Ah. I bet you have wonderful memories of yours as well.
What a sweet memory! It’s stories like this that drive me to do what I do and I think it’s probably the same for many food bloggers. I have so many of my own memories that associate cooking with good feelings and people from my childhood. Food is the ultimate connecter. It connect our pasts, today to our family and friends and to each other though we’ve never met! I love what I do!! Happy Monday to you, Robyn!
Thanks so much, Kelley. I completely agree!
Love your stories – I can see you now with your fancy wine glass full of Kool-Aide!!LOL!! The cookies look so good and easy to make. Will “borrow” this recipe and make memories with my granddaughter! Not forgetting the wine glass of Kool-Aide. Thanks so much!!!!
Your family memories always make me smile. AND so do these delightful cookies!
They are much like the Nutella cookies I make, and the kids are standing in line to get.
the directions are much the same, you can either use your dough recipe or this one
225g butter
110g sugar
275g all-purpose flour
200g Nutella (give or take a bit) 😉
Make the same thumbprint cookies, fill them up with the Nutella and bake them for about 15 min at 180°C
And even though I can’t be a grandmother I will love if my grandkids wants to bake with me when I get them.(my son is only 11 years old, so it’s gonna take some time) 😀
are the cookie sheets greased or ungreased?
Hi Cher,
The cookie sheets are ungreased.