These cranberry and orange thumbprint cookies are the perfect cookie to whip up in half an hour for your kids to enjoy or for afternoon tea. They're so easy to make and have a chewy texture and a crunchy shell that's filled with a sweet cranberry jam. Nobody can resist a delicious thumbprint cookie!
Remove the butter and egg from the fridge 1 hour before baking to come to room temperature.
Separate the egg yolk from the egg white.
Cooking instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
The dough for these cookies comes together quickly by creaming the butter and ¼ cup of sugar together in a mixing bowl for 3 to 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and orange zest and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, stir in the flour, cornmeal, and salt together, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Lightly beat the egg white in a small bowl until frothy.
Make balls from the cookie dough using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, then dip them into the fluffy egg whites, and roll the ball in the remaining sugar.
Transfer the sugar-coated balls to the prepared baking sheets and gently press into the center of each ball with your finger or the back of a teaspoon.
Bake them in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until lightly browned, baking one baking sheet at a time.
Remove the baked cookies from the oven and use your thumb to press into the center again while the cookies are still warm.
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to let them cool completely.
Place the filling ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to simmer and smash the cranberries with a measuring spoon.
Simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture becomes thick, then remove the pan from the heat to cool.
Once the cranberry jam is cool, spoon a small amount (½ teaspoon) into the center of each thumbprint cookie.
Serve them on a plate or transfer them to a container.
Recipe Notes
The cookie dough will spread!The cookies will spread slightly during baking, so make sure to leave a 1-inch gap between them on the baking sheet.Soften your butterFor the best buttery cookies, make sure to use softened butter and not hardened butter. It needs to be slightly firm so that it is easy to cream with the sugar.Chilling the doughOnce you have made the cookie dough, you can wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes until slightly firm so that it becomes easier to shape and press without breaking.