Buttery soft thumbprint cookies made with pecans and topped with icing. These traditional Christmas cookies are a family favorite!
These thumbprint cookies literally melt in your mouth! They are so so yummy and do not last for long in our household after they come out of the oven.
Rightly called thumbprint cookies because you take your thumb to each cookie before cooking to make a small indent, to fill with frosting after they are cooked.
I guess if you really wanted to you could omit the pecans to make this nut free. But they really do bring a lot of flavor to the cookie.
These are a MUST for our Christmas cookie collection, but you could make these any time of the year! Just change up the color of the frosting to your liking.
Check out some of my other favorite Christmas desserts!
Anise Snap Cookies :A traditional German Christmas cookie that is soft and chewy. Anise seeds give these cookies a subtle hint of licorice!
No Bake Peanut Crunch Candy: Super fast no bake peanut crunch candy, made with Captain Crunch Peanut Butter cereal and almond bark! Easy birthday and holiday treat!
7 Layer Cookie Bars: Cookie bars with seven layers of flavor. Easily layered in one pan and then baked for a fast dessert.
Chocolate Walnut Fudge: Classic fudge made with three types of chocolates and walnuts. An easy way to make chocolate fudge at home!
Scotcharoos: A Rice Krispie like treat but made with peanut butter and topped with a chocolate butterscotch mix. With only 6 ingredients these are super easy to make!
Chocolate Covered Pretzels: Chocolate covered pretzels can be decorated to match any holiday. With only 3 ingredients these are done in minutes!
Marshmallow Pops: Easy kids treat made with marshmallows and melted almond bark. Decorate to match any holiday or party theme!
Romanian Kifla Nut Bread: Romanian kifla bread rolled up with a sweet nut mix filling. Made in long loaves and sliced up and served with warm butter.
Pumpkin Squares: Moist cake like pumpkin squares with a whipped cream cheese frosting. These squares are the perfect autumn dessert that will feed a crowd!
Apple Pie Bars: Homemade apple pie bars, all done in a sheet pan. Made with apples, cinnamon, and a flaky pie crust, this will feed the whole family!
Ingredients for Thumbprint Cookies
Butter: One cup of butter is needed and will be creamed together with the sugar before adding the flour.
Vanilla Extract: Adds a hint of vanilla flavor. Added when creaming together the sugar and butter.
Pecans: Chopped up very small and added for flavor and texture.
Sugar: Regular white sugar is creamed together with the butter.
Flour: Added after the butter and sugar are creamed together.
Ingredients for the Icing:
Powdered Sugar: The base of the icing.
Milk: Added to the powdered sugar until the consistency is not too thick but not too runny.
Almond Extract: Added for a hint of flavor.
How to make Thumbprint Cookies
Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract together in a mix master until dissolved and fluffy.
Slowly add in the flour on low speed until mixed well.
Slowly add the nuts in last.
Roll into a big ball and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
Chill in the refrigerator overnight.
When you are ready to make the cookies let the dough come to room temperature.
Roll into small cookie size balls.
Place the cookies apart on baking trays and press your thumb(or back of a teaspoon) to make an indent in each cookie. The indent should be deep and narrow.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
Let the cookies cool on racks before frosting.
How to make the Icing for Thumbprint Cookies
For the frosting take 2 cups powdered sugar and mix together with 1 Tablespoon of milk and a drop of almond extract. Keep adding milk slowly to get the consistency of not too thick, but not too runny.
Divide in half and add the food coloring to each container about 4-5 drops of each color.
Add more milk if it is too thick, or add more powdered sugar if it is too runny. You don’t want it to run off the sides of the cookies.
Add the frosting to the cookies, filling the hole in the middle.
Thumbprint Cookies
Description
Buttery soft thumbprint cookies made with pecans and topped with icing. These traditional Christmas cookies are a family favorite!
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a mix master combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until dissolved and fluffy.
- Slowly add the flour on low speed until well mixed.
- Slowly add the nuts until just mixed.
- Roll into a big ball and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Before making the cookies let the dough come to room temperature.
- Roll into small cookie shaped balls and place apart on baking trays.
- Taking your thumb or the back of a teaspoon, make an indent in each cookie that is narrow and deep.
- Bake for 15 minutes and then cool for 10 minutes on racks.
- To make the frosting, add 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 Tablespoon of milk and mix together.
- Divide into two containers and add the green food coloring to one and the red food coloring in the other. About 4-5 drops for each color.
- Add more milk if the frosting is too thick or add more powdered sugar if the frosting is too runny.
- Once the cookies are cool, add the frosting to the indent part of the cookie.
Notes
- If you are crunched for time, you can refrigerate the dough for an hour or two instead of overnight.
Christmas Morning Recipes!
French Toast Casserole: A French Toast casserole that is baked with a pecan and brown sugar topping. Made the night before, then baked in the morning for an easy breakfast casserole.
Monkey Bread: Monkey bread made with frozen rolls, brown sugar, pudding mix, and butter. Just layer it all in a bundt pan for an easy breakfast treat!
Baked Apple Pancakes: Easy baked apple pancakes made with fresh apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, and baked in the oven. Delicious, and done in under 30 minutes for a fast breakfast!
Crepes: Romanian crepes are a quick and easy breakfast favorite! With only 6 ingredients, this is a budget friendly breakfast dish.
Pumpkin Muffins: Light and fluffy, easy pumpkin muffins. A streusel topping makes these taste like they are straight from the bakery.
Corned Beef Hash Skillet: A skillet full of fresh corned beef, potatoes, onions, eggs, and bell pepper. A hearty breakfast or dinner dish that is full of flavor!
Blueberry Coffee Cake: Soft and moist blueberry coffee cake drizzled with vanilla icing. Delicious breakfast or dessert treat that everyone will love!
Pineapple Zucchini Bread: Moist and fluffy zucchini bread flavored with pineapple! Easy to make, enough for 2 loaves or makes great muffins!
Cinnamon Rolls: Perfectly soft and chewy homemade cinnamon rolls. A breakfast treat filled with cinnamon swirl and topped with cream cheese frosting.
Banana Nut Bread: Sweet and super moist homemade banana nut bread. A simple and easy old fashioned recipe, with only 8 ingredients!
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