By Kevin Williams
These Amish thimble cookies remind me vaguely of the very first thing I ever baked. I was living the United Arab Emirates at the time (regulars of my email newsletter know that I once lived there was a child when the company my Dad worked for transferred us all over there). I remember, I think it was kindergarten, the teacher having all of us children make a cookie called "jam tarts." They were delicious. I was going to a British school and that was a favorite cookie of the teacher's.
So, fast-foward to today and we are talking about Amish thimble cookies, which a perfect, festive holiday cookie! These are still popular, especially among Amish old-timers. The actual use of a thimble has tended to fall out of favor, but some old-timers still do. Now these cookies are going to be great however you make them but with a dollop of homemade jam, wow, these cookies will sing.
I'd love to try making these and filling them with blueberry filling, or perhaps even pear.
If you want to have a cookie that isn't too sweet, this is a good choice. They're called thimble cookies because Amish women will use a thimble to make the tiny holes in the center for filling with jam, but if you don't have a thimble, the back of a small spoon or your thumb works.
🍪Cookie Ingredients
- 1 c butter, softened
- ½ c sugar
- 4 lg eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 c all-purpose flour
- ½ c jam, any flavor of your choice
👨🍳Cookie Instructions
- CREAM the butter and sugar until well blended in a large bowl.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Work in the flour until a firm dough forms.
- If the dough seems too sticky, let it chill for a couple of hours in the refrigerator.
- FORM the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Use a clean thimble to press a hole in each one.
- Fill the hole with a small amount of jam.
- Bake until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the jam begins to bubble, about 25 minutes.
- COOL the cookies on a wire rack or a plate and then put into sealed containers.
- These cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
🍪More Amish Christmas Cookies
🖨️Printer-Friendly Amish Thimble Cookies
Amish Thimble Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup jam any flavor
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar until well blended in a largebowl.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Work in the flour until afirm dough forms.
- If the dough seems too sticky, let it chill for a coupleof hours in the refrigerator.
- Form the dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches aparton ungreased baking sheets.
- Use a clean thimble to press a hole in each one.
- Bake until the edges of the cookies are golden brown and the jam begins to bubble, about 25 minutes.
- These cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
At what temp do I bake the cookies?
350, sorry for the omission!
Thanks!! Making them today! I make something like those too but i call them thumbprint cookies!
Good luck with the cookies, Rae Ann, they are pretty much a variation of a the classic thumbprint cookie!
I make a very similar cookie. The difference is my recipe calls for powdered sugar, and of course I use various flavors of my homemade jam. I take them to church socials and such.
I have had many complements . My recipe is from Fields cookies. By the way for the lady who was asking about the temperature. I bake mine 15 to 20 min. at 350 degrees. Probably the same as recipe above.
Sorry Keven. We must have written our post at the same time. I did not see yours until after I finished mine.
That is OK, Carolyn, great minds think alike!:)
I made these cookies and I have one word for them..addicting!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
How about a Hershey kiss instead of jam?
Good suggestion, Mary!
Thanks for the resend, Kevin! Sure gotta try these now!