Cherry Ginger Thumbprint Cookies

Glittery Thumbprint Cookies with cherry preserves and crystallized ginger could be the crowned jewel of your cookie exchange this year!

Every holiday season, my heart is filled with child-like delight at the thought of Cookie Baking Day. I love everything about baking holiday cookies:

• Making an array of recipes that vary in color, shape, texture and flavor.
• The family fun that comes along with baking together.
• The Christmas music playing in the background.
• The cherished memories that surface of past holiday seasons.
• The fact that Christmas cookies are made to share with unsuspecting friends, or at a cookies exchange.
• The wrapping of the cookies with vibrant ribbons and tags.
• And the inevitable smiles that follow when you hand a plate of pure joy to a loved one.

Cookies = Happiness, if only for a moment.

A nibble of happiness, may not last a lifetime, but it sure can brighten someone’s day.

In my mind, no other cookie variety can compete with thumbprint cookies.

The tender buttery dough bakes into soft delicate cookie shells, filled with endless possibilities.

My favorite recipe is Dulce de Leche Thumbprint Cookies sprinkled with sea salt, but I have a soft spot for the chocolate and fruity variations as well.

This year’s holiday thumbprint recipe, Cherry Ginger Thumbprints Cookies, is a close runner-up.

Made with sour cherry preserves, sweet and spicy crystallized ginger, and golden shimmer sugar to make the cookies sparkle, they are just as lovely as they taste.

These thumbprint cookies will most certainly be at my cookie exchange this year. Maybe they’ll make it to yours as well!

More Cookie Exchange Ideas:

Mexican Mocha Crinkle Cookies

Brown Sugar Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting ~ Cookies and Cups

Peanut Butter Chocolate Sandwich Cookies ~ Love and Olive Oil

Hot and Spicy Gingersnaps ~ Recipe Girl

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5 from 3 votes

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Cherry Ginger Thumbprint Cookies

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Glittery Thumbprint Cookies with cherry preserves and crystallized ginger could be the crowned jewel of your cookie exchange this year!

Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sour cherry preserves
• 1/2 cup chopped crystallized ginger
• Gold shimmer sugar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. With an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Scrape the bowl with a spatula. Turn the mixer on low and add the flour a little at a time, until it is just combined.
• Cover and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls.
• Place the balls on the cookie sheets 3 inches apart. Make a deep indention in each cookie, with your thumb. Press any cracks back into place.
• Spoon a scant 1/3 teaspoon of cherry preserves in the center of each cookie. Bake for approximately 20 minutes.
• While the thumbprint cookies are still warm, press a few pieces of crystallized ginger into the cherry center of each cookie and sprinkle with gold shimmer sugar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 103kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 14mg, Sodium: 34mg, Potassium: 12mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 160IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 3mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Author: Sommer Collier

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