The BEST Brown Butter Thumbprint Cookies

December 22, 2020

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! If you are anything like me, the holiday season comes with go-to recipes for treats and goodies to share. I find myself on autopilot every year. Sugar cookies, chocolate peanut butter bark, mini chip snowball cookies, ginger cookies…you get the idea. But, last week while flipping through a Food Network Magazine from 2015, I came across a recipe for Brown Butter Thumbprint Cookies. Intrigued, I decided to try them out! My little one is four, and she’s my baking buddy these days. So, we put on our aprons and went to work! 

In our circle, we are connected to several loved ones who eat gluten free. Because of this, I have been making a great deal of our food to accommodate that dietary preference. The original recipe calls for all purpose flour, and you can certainly use that; however, I opted for cup4cup gluten free all purpose flour, instead. 

gluten free flour to use with brown butter thumbprint cookies
easy brown butter thumbprint cookies using Jam

When these babies came out of the oven, my husband grabbed one after dinner and was over the moon for them. “Whoa. These cookies are good… These are REALLY good cookies, babe!” Let’s just say he didn’t stop at one. The next day, my oldest daughter’s best friend was at the house and told me, “Autumn, this is the best cookie I’ve ever had in my life. Not joking.” Say whaaaa?!? Alright. I knew I had to share the recipe for these babies. Not to mention, add them to that annual rotation of goodies I make during the holidays. 

As a disclaimer, I am going to give you a heads up: this recipe is a tad time-consuming, with several steps. I normally firmly boycott such things, because, ain’t nobody got time for that. BUT: because of the rave reviews these thumbprint cookies solicited, jury says they are WORTH IT!

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe Below


The BEST Brown Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Servings

36

servings
Prep time

40

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes

These delectable brown butter thumbprint cookies are a great holiday (or anytime!) favorite. Bring a plate full of these unique cookies to your next gathering and prepare to impress!

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks butter

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 1/3 to 2/3 cup of jam of your choosing (I used Crofter’s Seedless Raspberry)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 if your oven runs hot like mine does). Line a baking sheet with Parchment Paper. Set aside.
  • Melt butter in a small skillet or saucepan, over medium heat. Cook, swirling the butter, until brown coloring appears and the butter smells nutty, about 7 minutes. Pour into a heatproof bowl (I used the bowl that accompanies my stand mixer). Freeze, stirring occasionally, until the butter is spreadable, 35-40 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
  • Beat the browned butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture until the dough comes together.
  • Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Arrange about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to indent the centers, pinching together any large cracks (a few small cracks are fine). Refrigerate or freeze until firm, 20 minutes or so.
  • Fill each indentation with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of jam. Bake until the cookies are set and lightly browned on the bottom, 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet. ENJOY!

You might also enjoy Easy Cake Mix Christmas Cookies For The Non-Baker

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