Thumbprint Cookies
My Mom always made these cookies at Christmas. I make two batches, one with nuts, and one without.
My Mom always made these cookies at Christmas. I make two batches, one with nuts, and one without.
- Carbohydrate 351.325277736542 g
- Cholesterol 487.61179775 mg
- Fat 343.794025786131 g
- Fiber 29.0280009923466 g
- Protein 52.9134075893991 g
- Saturated Fat 130.438904322189 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (899g)
- Sodium 1818.57602560329 mg
- Sugar 322.297276744196 g
- Trans Fat 21.2130113905197 g
- Calories 4601 calories
Step-by-step
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Add vanilla, water, salt and flour.
- Chill.
- Roll dough into tsp and make thumb print.
- Bake at 350 for 5-7 mins.
Limited counter space requires strategic dough management, and chilling this high-fat butter dough solves the problem of spreading prematurely in the oven. Butter contains roughly twenty percent water by weight, and refrigeration solidifies those fats so the structure holds its characteristic indentation during the early stages of baking. Scaling this formulation up or down depends entirely on the flour-to-fat ratio, meaning bakers can easily double or halve the ingredients without altering the structural integrity of the crumb, provided measurements remain precise. Precision matters because excessive flour transforms a tender, sandy shortbread into a tough, heavy biscuit that resists forming clean impressions. Rolling the dough into uniform teaspoon-sized portions ensures even heat penetration, preventing smaller pieces from burning before larger ones set. Operating an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit provides the moderate heat necessary to cook the flour completely without browning the exterior prematurely. Timing requires close observation because these cookies bake rapidly, taking between five and seven minutes depending on local oven hot spots and aluminum sheet pan conductivity. Visual cues dictate doneness far better than clocks alone; remove the pans from the heat source the moment the very edges show the faintest hint of golden coloration while the centers remain pale. Storing these baked items in an airtight container with a slice of plain white bread helps maintain moisture balance over several days, as the cookies absorb excess humidity from the bread rather than drying out in ambient air. Optional additions like chopped pecans introduce dense fats that alter the spread rate slightly, so incorporating them requires careful balancing of the initial mixing phase to avoid working gluten strands into the flour.
