Guava Jam Thumbprint Cookies (Printable)

Buttery cookies filled with sweet-tart guava jam, offering a perfect balance of flavors and crispy-tender textures.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 large egg
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Filling

07 - 1/2 cup guava jam

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt; set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
05 - Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms.
06 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll them between your palms. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
07 - Using your thumb or the back of a rounded teaspoon, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball.
08 - Fill each indentation with approximately 1/2 teaspoon of guava jam.
09 - Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
10 - Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • They come together in under an hour and taste homemade in the way that actually means something.
  • The contrast between buttery cookie and tart-sweet jam is genuinely addictive, not just Instagram-worthy.
  • You can swap the jam for whatever you have on hand and they still turn out beautifully.
02 -
  • The jam can burn if you overfill or if your oven runs hot, so start conservatively with the filling and adjust next time if you want more.
  • Softened butter really does matter here; if yours is still cold, let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes rather than microwaving it into a melted puddle.
03 -
  • The difference between good and great thumbprints is using jam you actually love eating straight from the jar, not whatever was cheapest at the store.
  • Keeping your baking sheets at least 2 inches apart in the oven helps them bake evenly without heat spots, and rotating them halfway through never hurts.
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