Thumbprint Cookies with Icing

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Thumbprint Cookies with Icing are buttery, tender cookies filled with sweet almond buttercream frosting. This impressive yet simple recipe uses everyday ingredients and is perfect for a holiday cookie exchange or entertaining guests.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 146kcal

Author: Cara Lanz

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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