Guava Jam Thumbprint Cookies (Printable Version)

Buttery cookies with sweet-tart guava centers, ready in 35 minutes

# What You 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 and 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 2-3 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 balls 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 13-15 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden.
10 - Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look fancy enough to serve at a dinner party but honestly take less time than brewing coffee.
  • The guava jam provides this sophisticated sweet-tart complexity that makes people ask for the recipe before they've even finished chewing.
02 -
  • If your butter isn't actually soft when you start, microwave it for 10 seconds at a time until it's the texture of peanut butter, because cold butter will make creaming take forever and the results will be dense.
  • The jam will look like it's going to run everywhere right out of the oven, but it sets as the cookies cool, so resist the urge to bake them longer.
03 -
  • Room temperature butter really does change everything; if you forget to soften it, just set it out 15 minutes before you start and your cookies will thank you.
  • Dipping your thumbprint tool in water between presses prevents sticking and creates cleaner, more uniform indentations.
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