You have to try these strawberry shortbread cookies for a treat this week. These strawberry shortcake cookies are a buttery cookie that has a dip in the center with a sweet strawberry jam filling. These cookies are made with simple ingredients and melt in your mouth.
These strawberry cookies are the perfect strawberry flavor paired with these buttery shortbread cookies. A cookie that is not only delicious but gorgeous with a pop of strawberry filling. These cookies are great all year round but could even make a spectacular Valentine’s Day cookie or spring cookie.
Try out my strawberry trifle or layered chocolate and strawberry cake for more tasty strawberry recipes that will tickle your taste buds with delight. I am a sucker for fresh strawberries, freeze-dried strawberries, and a strawberry glaze. So I always try to find delicious desserts that incorporate these ingredients.
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Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients needed to make this recipe, you can find the full list of ingredients and amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- butter
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- all purpose flour
- salt
- strawberry jam
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions for this recipe. The full step-by-step instructions can be found at the bottom of this post.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Then in a stand mixer or large bowl, you are going to use the paddle attachment and cream your softened butter and sugar together. You want this to become a lighter color and fluffier in texture. It takes about 2-3 minutes to cream butter and sugar.
Next, you are going to add in the vanilla extract and mix again to combine.
In a small bowl, you are going to add your dry ingredients together. Then slowly work in the dry ingredients to the wet batter. Make sure to not overmix the batter. You will stop mixing when the dough forms.
Then you will use a 1-inch cookie scoop and make balls and place them on a prepared baking sheet. Use your thumb to press an indention in the center of each of the cookies.
Spoon a bit of the jam into the center of each of the cookies. Make sure to not overfill.
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until done. Once done let cool a couple of minutes then transfer to a wire rack for cooling.
Hint: using a cookie scoop is going to make sure you get even-shaped cookies that will all bake up at the same time in the oven. If you guess, you will find some cookies can become overdone and others undercooked depending on their size.
Variations
- Filling Flavor of Cookies – essentially you can fill the cookies with any filling you want. Different flavors of jam, pie filling, cream cheese, peanut butter, etc. Have fun transforming this classic shortbread cookie thumbprint recipe to change up the flavor of these cookies. If you do chocolate or other items you would want to place them in the cookies once they are cooled after being baked.
- Almond Cookies – swap out the vanilla extract with almond extract to make these a flavorful almond cookie. You still have that butter strawberry shortcake cookies at the end but with a sweet and nutty almond flavor.
- Lemon Zest – brighten up the strawberry cookie recipe with some lemon zest. Sprinkle on top of the baked cookies once they have cooled. It will add a nice citrus pop of flavor.
See this chocolate and maraschino cherry thumbprint cookie recipe. It is a cherry dessert that is one of my favorites for when we get a chocolate craving in the house.
Equipment
Now you don’t have to have any special equipment for this cookie recipe. But I find having an electric mixer or stand mixer is going to allow you to cream your ingredients and create a nice light and fluffy cookie dough that is perfect. I highly recommend using a cookie scoop for evenly shaped cookies.
I also recommend having a cooling rack to place your cookies to cool. This allows for air to reach the top and bottom of the cookies so it creates quicker cooled cookies to nibble on.
Storage
Store your cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Or you can place them in the fridge for 4-5 days.
You can also freeze any of the cookies you don’t plan to eat right away. Simply place it in a freezer-friendly container and freeze for 3-4 months.
Then remove the cookies let thaw at room temperature for an hour and enjoy. Or if you can’t wait then go right ahead and eat straight from the freezer.
Test Kitchen Tips
Make sure the unsalted butter is at room temperature. You will find that if you melt the butter, it will be too wet and your cookies will flatten more as they bake. You need room temperature or softened butter for the correct cookie form for this recipe.
Don’t overfill the cookies with the jam. It will melt down a bit and spread as it bakes. You might find that adding the jam in a sandwich bag and cutting off a small end of the tip is a great way to pipe in the jam to the center of the cookies.
I like to let my cookies cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet before I place them on the cooling rack. It helps cool the cookies enough so when you use the spatula to scoop and move the cookie it doesn’t deform the shape. If your cookies are too hot, they can fall apart easily when you go to scoop them off the pan.
Don’t overbake the cookies. You want them to be lightly golden brown and the cookies to be baked through. If you overbake the cookies they will become dry and break apart easier.
FAQ
No matter what the season is you can customize the cookies to add different colored jams or fillings. You can also add sprinkles on top of the cookies to match the colors of the holiday. Or even mix some sprinkles into the cookie batter. These are a great cookie for Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, and so much more. I love these cookies for special occasions all through the year.
Go ahead and make up the cookie dough and then place it in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge and store for 1-2 days. Then let the dough sit for about 20 minutes on the counter, and then begin to roll in balls, shape, and bake the same as you would if you made the cookies fresh. Depending on how cold the dough is, you might add a few extra minutes to the baking portion of the cookies.
Yes, you can use fresh berries instead of jam. Just bake the cookies the same and then once the cookies have fully cooled top with the juicy strawberries. You can slice the strawberry in half. Or dice it up into smaller pieces. Just know the fresh strawberries will release juices as it breaks down which can sog up the cookie itself.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Serve With:
These are my favorite dishes to serve with these strawberry thumbprint cookies:
Strawberry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup strawberry jam or any jam of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
- Sift the all-purpose flour and salt into the butter mixture. Mix until the dough comes together. Do not overmix; just mix until the ingredients are combined.
- Take small portions of the dough and roll them into 1-inch balls. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each cookie.
- Use your thumb or the back of a small measuring spoon to make a deep indentation in the center of each cookie. Make sure not to press too hard; you just want to create a well for the jam.
- Spoon a small amount of strawberry jam into the indentation of each cookie. Be careful not to overfill, as the jam will spread while baking.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Keep an eye on them to prevent over-baking.
- Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The jam will set as the cookies cool.
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