Thumbprint Cookies with Icing are tender, buttery shortbread cookies filled with creamy almond buttercream, and decorated any way you want. Pretty, delicious Christmas cookies, perfect addition your cookie tray or sweet treat for Valentine's Day.
For more classic cookie recipes, be sure to try Snowball Cookies and No Spread Cut Out Sugar Cookies with Cookie Icing that Hardens.
These easy Thumbprint Cookies with Icing are the perfect cookie -- and not just because I think everything should have frosting, but the combo of a rich buttery shortbread cookie with sweet icing is perfection.
Both the shortbread thumbprint cookies and the icing recipe are easy to make with simple ingredients, making them perfect for holiday baking or special occasions, or just because cookies with frosting are always a good idea.
🍓Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- Unsalted butter. Room temperature butter should feel cool to the touch and indent when pressed with your finger. You shouldn't be able to press your finger all the way through it.
- Egg yolks. Egg yolk adds richness and tenderness to the shortbread cookie dough. If you don't have a use for the egg whites, like this fluffy marshmallow meringue, you can freeze them.
- Flour. Measure your flour carefully, as too much flour can turn a perfectly crumbly, tender thumbprint cookie dry and hard.
- Flavor extracts. The frosting for thumbprint cookies is lightly flavored with almond extract. You can add more or less to taste or swap it out with another flavor like maple, orange, lemon, or peppermint.
- Heavy cream. A little heavy cream adds luxurious silkiness to the buttercream. You may also use a little milk. Add it a tablespoon at a time until the frosting reaches your desired texture.
- Cinnamon, optional. I flavored the icing with cinnamon because I love the combination of almond and cinnamon. You can leave it out, add more, or use a different spice like pumpkin pie spice or a chai spice blend.
- Food coloring, sprinkles. If you choose to color the icing, leave out the cinnamon, as it adds brown color to the icing. Buttercream will naturally have a yellow color, which will affect how the food coloring tints the frosting. Use gel food coloring for the most concentrated color.
🥣How to Make Thumbprint Cookies with Icing
Step 1: Beat the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and eggs.
Step 2: Mix in the flour and salt until it forms into a soft dough. Chill at least one hour.
Step 3: Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll them in sugar. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Use your thumb, back of a measuring spoon, or a utensil handle to press an indent about halfway down into the center of each dough ball.
Step 4: Bake cookies in preheated oven at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms barely turn light golden brown. Immediately re-press the indentation down. Cool cookies on the pan for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 5: In a large bowl, beat the butter, vanilla, almond extract, salt, and cinnamon (if using) until the butter is very light in color and fluffy. Mix in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until combined. Mix in the heavy cream or milk as needed.
Step 6: Use a spoon or piping bag to fill the center of the cookie with the almond buttercream icing. Decorate with sprinkles or sugars, if desired.
👉Top Tip: If you choose to color your icing with food coloring, omit the cinnamon. Also, be aware that buttercream icing has a natural yellow tinge, which will affect how food coloring tints the frosting.
☑️Tips
- Be careful not to overbake shortbread or it can become dry and hard.
- If the cookie dough balls crack while indenting them, use your fingers to smooth the dough back together.
- Add more cream or milk as necessary if the frosting is too thick or more powdered sugar if it is too thin.
- The frosting may develop a slight crust as you're frosting the cookies. Just stir it again until smooth.
🎁How to Store Buttercream Frosted Cookies
Store thumbprint cookies with icing in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
📅Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions
- Store unbaked shortbread cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Make buttercream frosting 1-2 days ahead of time and store covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Before using, let it sit at room temperature to soften.
- To freeze cookies decorated with buttercream frosting, chill until the frosting is very firm. Stack cookies between layers of parchment paper and freeze in an airtight container. To thaw, unstack the cookies while still frozen and thaw them in a single layer.
- Freeze unfrosted shortbread cookies in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Freeze shortbread dough or unbaked cookie dough balls (not rolled in sugar) in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then roll in sugar and bake as directed.
🎆More Holiday Cookie Ideas
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📖 Recipe
Thumbprint Cookies with Icing
Ingredients
Thumbprint Shortbread Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 2 sticks
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- granulated sugar, for rolling
Almond Buttercream Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 stick
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½-1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk as needed
Instructions
Thumbprint Cookies
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg yolks and beat for one more minute.
- Add the flour and salt. Mix until combined into a soft dough. Press dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and chill at least one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll 1-tablespoon portions of dough into balls and roll them in sugar. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Use your thumb, a spoon, or a utensil handle to press an indent into the center of each cookie ball.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms are very light brown -- do not overbake. Immediately re-press the indentation back down. Cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.
Frosting for Thumbprint Cookies
- Beat the butter, vanilla, almond extract, salt, and cinnamon (if using) until very light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until completely combined. Mix in the heavy cream.
- If desired, tint frosting with food coloring. Pipe or spoon frosting into the wells of the shortbread cookies. Immediately top with sprinkles before the frosting sets. As the frosting sets, it will become firm but will not harden completely. Frosting piped into rosettes and other designs may crush if stacked.
Notes
- Be careful not to overbake shortbread or it can become dry and hard.
- If the cookie dough balls crack while indenting them, use your fingers to smooth the dough back together.
- Add more cream or milk as necessary if the frosting is too thick or more powdered sugar if it is too thin.
- If you choose to color your icing with food coloring, buttercream icing has a natural yellow tinge, which will affect how food coloring tints the frosting.
- When stored at room temperature, the frosting will set up firmly but not firm enough to stack without crushing the piped frosting. When refrigerated, the frosting hardens firmly enough to stack.
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