When I think about Christmas cookies, these holiday jamboree cookies (also known as thumbprint cookies) always come to mind! As a kid I can remember my Grammy making these, my Mom, and a slew of other relatives and people from our church. They're easy to make and you can pick pretty much any jam or jelly you'd like for the center!
Table of contents
Where Did the Jamboree Cookie Originate?
There seems to be much dispute over the origin of the holiday jamboree cookie, or the thumbprint cookie. It is believed to have come from either Sweden, Poland, or from the Jewish people of Eastern Europe.
Thumbprint cookies also go by the name of Hallongrotta (in Sweden), butter balls, birds nest cookies, and of course, jamboree cookies. No matter where they came from or what you call them, one thing is for certain—they're very good!
What Ingredients Are Needed?
- All-Purpose Flour
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Strawberry Preserves—or whatever jam or jelly you prefer!
How to Make Holiday Jamboree Cookies
Holiday Jamboree Cookies (or Thumbprint Cookies) come together very quickly, but as a heads up, the dough does require chilling! They're worth the wait though!
Whisk the dry ingredients together. This includes the all-purpose flour and salt. I prefer to
Mix the wet ingredients together. This is the unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. it is best for both the butter and eggs to be at room temperature so that the ingredients all blend together evenly.
Chill the dough. Transfer the jamboree cookie dough into a well sealed container and place it in the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 3 hours. Overnight is my preference and what I recommend.
Roll, dent, then add the jam. You can use a spoon or a 1 tablespoon-size cookie scoop to roll the cookie dough into balls. Keep them 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets.
To make the center dent, you can use your thumb or a small spoon that's dipped in some cold water. This will help keep the dough from sticking to you or the spoon!
For the jam or jelly center, what flavor you use is totally your call! I used strawberry because strawberry is my favorite. To make the filling process easier, I used a piping bag and just cut the tip off at the bottom. Easy peasy. For toppings, I used sparkling sugar and some of my favorite Truly Mad Plastics edible gold dust, but feel free to also try out either chopped pecans or walnuts!
Bake then cool. Bake the jamboree cookies for 10-12 minutes at 375ºF. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Baking Tip - How to Make the Center Dent
To make the center dent, you can use your thumb or a small spoon that's dipped in some cold water. This will help keep the dough from sticking to you or the spoon!
Consider Making These Other Beyond the Butter Holiday Favorites!
Holiday Jamboree Cookies
Author:Ingredients
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ¼ cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- Small jar of strawberry preserves, or whatever jam or jelly you prefer!
- Piping bag, optional, but helpful for piping the jam or jelly into the center of the cookie
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt. Set aside.
- Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light in color and fluffy in texture.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Switching the mixer speed to low, gradually add in the whisked dry mixture until just combined.
- Cover the top of the cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours. Overnight is even better.
- When ready to bake, adjust your oven rack to the 2nd level position (just above center) and preheat your oven to 375ºF.
- Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper and set aside.
- Using a spoon or a 1 ½ tablespoon-size cookie scoop, roll the cookie dough into balls and place on the parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Using your thumb or a spoon, dip in cold water (to avoid the dough sticking to you or the spoons) and make a dent in center of each cookie. Fill dent with jam or jelly of your choosing using a spoon or a piping bag with the tip cut off. Optional: Sprinkle tops with sparkling sugar or chopped walnuts or pecans (I opted for just the sparking sugar with a touch of edible gold dust cause I'm fancy like that).
- Bake at 375ºF for 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies should have a very light golden brown color to them. Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Leave a Review