Butter Cookies
These butter cookies, also referred to as “thumb prints,” are similar in taste and texture to shortbread cookies and can be filled with your favorite jam, jelly or preserves. For a chocolate butter cookie, add another 1/4 cup flour in step 2 and drizzle in 1/2 cup of melted dark chocolate at the end of step 2.
A friend’s mother gave me this recipe when I was 17 years old (thank you Marlene) and she played a large role in inspiring me to become a chef.
Butter Cookies
Course: CookiesDifficulty: EasyPrep time
15
minutesBaking Time
18
minutesYield
24
cookiesIngredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
jelly, jam or preserves of your choice
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla, followed by the flour, mixing well until a ball forms.
- Roll into small balls (we use a #40 ice cream scoop to portion cookies) and press thumb into center. Place about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat or on a lightly greased baking sheet.
- Fill center with any flavor jelly, jam or preserves.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes or until lightly browned around the bottom. Transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool.
