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Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies

These simple-to-make Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies are holiday cookies packed with festive flavor thanks to an orange shortbread crust and cranberry filling. Of course, if you have leftover cranberry sauce in your fridge, that will work perfectly, too!
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Christmas Cookies, Cranberry Cookies, Thumbprint Cookies
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Cookie and Cranberry Filling Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 2 dozen

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup yellow cornmeal (stoneground if possible)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
  • ½ tsp finely grated orange zest
  • 1 large egg, separated

Cranberry Filling

  • 1 cup (4 oz.) fresh cranberries
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup granulated sugae
  • 1 2-inch strip orange peel

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter and ¼ cup sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add orange zest and egg yolk and mix until just combined.
  • With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture until just combined.
  • Whisk the egg white in a small bowl and put the remaining ¼ cup sugar on a small plate. Take about 2 teaspoons of dough, roll into a ball, dip into the egg white, and then roll in sugar. Place on prepared baking sheet.
  • Place about 1 inch apart and gently press center of dough with your thumb to make a little imprint. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until cookies are pale golden, rotating trays halfway through. Let cookies cool on racks for a few minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.
  • Once the cookies are cooled, spoon a small amount of filling into the indentation.

Cranberry Filling

  • In a small saucepan, add cranberries, water, sugar, and orange peel. Bring to a boil over medium-heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, while gently mashing cranberries until they’re thick and “jam-like,” 5-6 minutes.
  • Remove orange peel, transfer cranberry sauce to a bowl and let cool completely before filling cookies.

Notes

  • Recipe from MarthaStewart.com
  • I recommend storing cookies in fridge once filled with cranberry sauce.
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