Thumbprints With Dulce de Leche, Nutella or Jam
Updated Jan. 16, 2025
- Total Time
- 1 hour, plus chilling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 3ounces/85 grams whole hazelnuts (½ cup plus 2 tablespoons), whole pecans (¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons), or whole pistachios (about ⅔ cup)
- 2¼cups/290 grams all-purpose flour, plus 2 teaspoons
- 1cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
- ⅔cup/135 grams granulated sugar
- 2large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓cup dulce de leche (for pecan cookies), Nutella (for hazelnut cookies) or red currant jelly (for pistachio cookies), for filling
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Nutritional analysis per serving (36 servings)
117 calories; 7 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 57 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the hazelnuts or pecans out on a small baking sheet and cook in oven, shaking several times, until toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. If using hazelnuts, transfer to a bowl to cool, cover with a folded dish towel, then rub off the skins. (No need to toast the pistachios.)
- Step 2
Once cooled, transfer the nuts to a food processor, preferably a mini one. Add 2 teaspoons flour and pulse just until nuts are finely ground, being careful not to overprocess.
- Step 3
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping bowl as needed. Add egg yolks and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl a few times as needed.
- Step 4
Add ½ cup ground nuts, the salt and the remaining 2¼ cups flour; beat on low speed just until combined, then increase speed and beat until dough starts to clump together. Scrape the bowl and fold a few times to make sure everything is well mixed. Wrap dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a disk, and chill until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 3 days.
- Step 5
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pinch off small pieces of dough the size of a rounded tablespoon (about 20 grams each) and roll the top half of each one in the remaining ground nuts. Place a few inches apart on parchment- or silicone mat-lined baking sheets. Chill in the freezer until firm, about 10 minutes.
- Step 6
Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and make a thumbprint in each cookie. Bake until golden brown on the bottom, and nuts are looking toasty but not burned, 6 to 8 minutes longer. Let cool a few minutes on the baking sheets and transfer to wire racks to cool further. While the cookies are still a little warm, fill each one with about ½ teaspoon of filling, and cool completely. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Private Notes
Comments
Loved these, did the pistachios with currant jelly...but the next time I will put the jelly in right after the thumbprint stage so that it Cooks for a bit in the oven. Otherwise, these don't travel well as the jelly just sits there and gets on other cookies if you try to bag them up. Also, used a wine cork to make the thumbprints! Worked perfectly.
I suggest rolling the chilled dough balls in egg white before rolling in chopped nuts. Nut pieces don’t stick well otherwise
Substituted walnuts and raspberry jam. Perfection! The perfect nostalgic cookie for the holidays.
This cookie is outstanding! I went the pecan route and added a teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough to amp the flavor. I filled half with Dulce de Leche topped with sea salt, and the other half with a quick cranberry jam and a fresh orange flavored glaze. Both versions were super yummy. One suggestion: Once you shape the cookies, make the indent for the filling before putting in them in the freezer. This will help the cookies keep their shape and not fall apart when you press into them when they are hot.
My daughter and I tried 5 new cookie recipes, and both of us ranked this #1. Absolutely fabulous. We did hazelnut with dulce de leche, and now I'm eager to try the other variations.
A new holiday staple for sure! I went with walnuts and Bonne Maman raspberry jam and it was the best combination, I strongly suggest you do the same! I was also in a bit of a time crunch and skipped the nuts on the outside, I really don't think it made a difference. My favourite thing about this recipe is there is endless combinations beyond the ones mentioned here. My biggest takeaway: use freshly bought nuts, old ones can make the cookies taste stale!