Kumquat Thumbprint Cookies
Tender butter cookies get a thumbprint filled with bright, bittersweet kumquat jam or marmalade. The recipe makes about 16 cookies, 4 per person. Scale the people count in the app to 2, 4, 6, or 8 — ingredients adjust from this base of 4 servings.
Open interactive cooker (change people count)
Food safety
The dough contains raw egg yolk — do not eat it before baking, and wash hands after handling. Bake until the edges are golden so the dough is fully cooked. Let the hot jam centers cool before serving to children.
Allergens: wheat, milk, egg
Equipment
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- mixing bowl
- electric mixer
- small spoon
- cooling rack
Ingredients (for 4 servings)
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup kumquat jam or kumquat marmalade
Directions
1. Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed 2 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla.
2. On low speed, mix in the flour and salt just until a soft dough forms.
3. Cover and refrigerate the dough 20 minutes until firm enough to roll (chill time is included in the cook time). Heat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
4. Roll the dough into 16 balls about 1 inch wide and set them 2 inches apart on the sheet.
5. Press your thumb or the back of a small spoon into each ball to make a deep well. Fill each well with about 1 teaspoon kumquat jam.
6. Bake 14 to 16 minutes until the edges are light golden and the bottoms are lightly browned, so the egg yolk in the dough is fully baked.
7. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then move to a rack. The jam is very hot — cool completely before eating.
Skill taught
Shaping and chilling butter cookie dough so it holds a filled center.
Affordable substitution
Use orange marmalade or apricot jam if kumquat jam is hard to find.
Optional variation
Make a quick filling by simmering 1 cup sliced, seeded kumquats (scrubbed under running water first) with 1/3 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water for 15 minutes until thick; cool before using.
Leftovers & storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days, or freeze up to 2 months.