These are buttery shortbread cookies with sweet, tangy and thick cranberry sauce in the centre and a drizzle of white chocolate on the top. These thumbprint cookies are the perfect thing to make for the holiday season! There is no chilling required so just roll the dough into balls, flatten them a bit, press with the back of a spoon and bake them! Without much of a mess, you get beautiful and tasty cookies every time!

INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED!

Scroll down to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and their exact quantities.

Here’s your ingredients list,

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• Unsalted butter: Make sure to buy unsalted butter because you can control the amount of salt according to the recipe requirement. Butter should be at room temperature, which means it should be softened enough so when you press it with little pressure, your finger will leave a dent.
• Plain Flour/All-purpose flour: Make sure to measure it correctly. The best way to measure all-purpose flour is by using a digital scale. If you don’t have then spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
• Egg yolk: Should be at room temperature. It is used to make the dough soft and helps it to combine.
• Corn flour/ Corn starch: It is added to make cookies crumbly with a tender texture. It also prevents your cookies to spread while baking and adds extra softness and chewiness.
• Salt: It balances the sweetness and enhances the flavour.
• Granulated sugar: It’s better to use white granulated sugar here.
• Desiccated coconut (unsweetened) and granulated sugar: To roll the cookies
• Cranberry sauce: I used store-bought thick cranberry sauce. The sauce should be thick. 
• White chocolate: To drizzle on top (optional).
• Coconut oil: Small amount is added to white chocolate to make it thin and smooth.

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HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY SAUCE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Step 1: In a medium bowl, sift together flour, corn flour and salt. Whisk them to mix well and set aside until needed.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, add softened unsalted butter, sugar, and cream together at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Step 3: Add in the egg yolk and vanilla extract, then beat again until fully incorporated.

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Step 4: Add in the dry ingredients, and continue to beat on low until just combined. The mixture will be crumbly at first. Use your hands to fold the crumbly mixture into a dough ball. Now the dough is ready. Don’t over-mix it.

Step 5: Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Preheat the Fan oven to 155C/311F (For a conventional oven it is 175C/347F).

Step 6: Scoop up about one tbsp of dough and roll it into a ball. Roll in the granulated sugar or desiccated coconut. To avoid cracks, gently flatten it. Place on the baking sheet. Lightly flour the back of a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon and use it to press each ball down to make a deep dent in the middle. To avoid cracks, make an indentation in each ball immediately after rolling and flattening it. Repeat the same with the remaining balls. You should get about 18 balls from this dough.

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Step 7: Bake these unfilled cookies in a preheated fan oven for 12 minutes then take them out of the oven and fill the jam (about 1/2-1 tsp) in the centre (if the sauce is thick, microwave it for just 3-5 seconds), bake again in the oven for about 2-3 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are nicely golden brown, the tops are still pale in colour and the edges are set. The total baking time is approximately 14-15 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking, for evenly baking. Don’t over bake them because you want soft shortbread cookies that just melt in your mouth.

Step 8: Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 9: Melt the white chocolate + coconut oil in the microwave at 20 seconds intervals, stirring well in between the intervals, until completely melted and smooth. Fill it in the piping bag, snip the tip away and drizzle on top of cooled cookies. Pop in the fridge to set the chocolate for 10-15 minutes.

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PRO TIPS TO GET PERFECT COOKIES

• Measure your flour accurately. The best way to measure plain flour/all-purpose flour is by using a digital scale. If you don’t have then spoon the flour into the measuring cup and then scrape a knife across the top of the measuring cup to level the flour.
• Use unsalted and softened butter! Unsalted butter is the best to add as you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. Butter should be at room temperature, which means it should be softened enough so when you press it with little pressure, your finger will leave a dent.
• Lightly flour the back of a spoon while making an indentation in the centre of the cookies to prevent the dough ball from sticking.
• To avoid cracks, make an indentation in each ball immediately after rolling it.

FAQ

Should I chill the dough?

No, the best part is that the dough does not need to be chilled before baking. It won’t spread too much in the oven. If you are baking one sheet at a time, cover the other baking sheet with prepared dough balls, and pop them in the fridge before baking.

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How to avoid cracks while making indentations?

To avoid cracks, make an indentation in each ball immediately after rolling and flattening it before it dries out slightly. Repeat the same with each dough ball. If you still have a few cracks, you could seal them by gently smoothening them out with your finger.

Can I substitute cranberry sauce with any other jam or filling?

Yes, definitely! You can use any other jam or thick sauce of your preference. You can also opt for caramel, lemon curd or any other chocolate spread.

Can I make them a day before?

Yes, you can prepare a dough ball, make the indentations, cover it with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for 24 hrs. Bake as needed.

How to store these cookies?

Keep these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can freeze them for up to 1 month. Place the cookies on a tray and freeze until firm (about an hour). Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container or a zip-lock bag. Thaw them in the fridge overnight or for a good amount of time before use.

I hope that you'll try this recipe and you'll love them as much as my family and I do! If you make this recipe then be sure to tag @kaotickrunch on Instagram. We'd love to see your creations!

Happy baking and eating! 😊