Soft and tender matcha thumbprint cookies filled with strawberry jam in the middle. They're one of the easiest holiday cookies you can make for a matcha lover!
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Strong matcha flavour. These matcha thumbprint cookies were made for matcha lovers. Use a a good quality matcha powder for the best results.
- Fruity jam filling. The burst of fruitiness is delicious! You can switch out the jam for a completely different flavour.
- Soft and tender cookies. These cookies practically melt in your mouth. Theyโre the perfect soft texture.
- Easy to make. These are one of the easiest holiday cookies you can make! Theyโre done in less than an hour.
Tools
- Electric hand mixer - A hand mixer makes making cookies and almost all other baked goods easier and faster. However, if you donโt have one, this recipe can be made with just a spatula. Make sure your butter is softened if youโre mixing it by hand.
- 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop - This size of scoop will give you about 12 small cookies. You can also use a larger scoop, which will make fewer larger cookies. Using a cookie scoop ensures all your cookies are the same size and makes it super easy to portion the dough out.
- Baking sheet - Youโll need a baking sheet or baking tray to bake your cookies, of course. You likely already have one at home. Any kind works.
Ingredients
As always, the fullย recipe cardย with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post! Keep reading for more details on each ingredient or skip ahead to theย recipe.
- All-purpose flour
- Matcha powder -ย Use your favourite ceremonial or high-quality culinary grade matcha powder. A good matcha powder should be very vibrant green in colour (not brown or yellow-y) and it should have a fragrant and sweet green tea flavour. I prefer to use ceremonial grade matcha powder for the best colour and flavour but there are good culinary grade matcha powders out there as well.
- Unsalted butter -ย This should be softened to room temperature otherwise the dough wonโt be soft and moist enough to come together.
- Powdered sugar - Weโre using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar because it makes these cookies super soft and tender. If you donโt have powdered sugar on hand, you can make your own by adding 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch to a blender and blend for 30 seconds until it becomes very powdery. Measure out what you need for the recipe afterwards.
- Egg yolk -ย Your egg should also be at room temperature to prevent the butter from hardening on contact. Weโre using only the yolk to prevent the dough from being too wet.
- Vanilla extract
- Strawberry jam -ย Use any jam youโd like. Strawberry jam goes well with the flavour of matcha but you can also use raspberry jam for a tart flavour. If your jam is too gel-like, warm it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before adding it to the cookies for a more runny consistency.
How to make matcha thumbprint cookies
Prep -ย Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Dry mixture -ย In a small bowl, stir together flour and matcha powder. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar -ย In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat softened butter until it becomes very creamy and pale in colour. Add the powdered sugar and cream together until smooth.
Wet ingredients -ย Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
Add dry to wet mixture -ย Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together.
Scoop cookie dough -ย Use a 1-1.5 tablespoon scoop to scoop out the cookie dough into your hands. Roll the dough in between your hands until it forms a round ball. Place the cookie dough balls on your lined baking sheet, leaving about 1.5โ in between each ball.
Press -ย Use your fingers to press down the dough balls slightly to create a flat surface. Use your thumb or the back of a ยผ teaspoon to press a heart design in the middle of the dough.
Fill with jam -ย Add about ยฝ teaspoon of strawberry jam to the heart shape and push it around with the spoon to fill the whole shape.
Bake -ย Bake cookies for about 10-11 minutes or until the surface looks dry and puffy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
Storage
These matcha thumbprint cookies can be stored in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 3 days.
The moisture from the jam tends to soften the cookie and โbleedโ into the edges of the cookie surrounding the jam filling the longer theyโre stored.
Freezing
These cookies can be placed in an airtight container, freezer bag, or wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 1 month.
Thaw at room temperature for several hours before eating.
Tips for success
- Use room temperature ingredients. The butter and egg yolk should be at room temperature. This helps the dough come to the correct consistency. If youโre mixing the dough by hand instead of with a hand mixer, room temperature butter is essential.
- Use a bigger cookie scoop for bigger, puffier cookies. I used a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop and the cookies came out slightly thinner than I would prefer. You can use a bigger scoop if youโd like for bigger and thicker cookies.
- Make classic thumbprints instead of hearts. Make these cookies even easier by simply pressing your thumbprint into the cookie dough balls instead of flattening and pressing hearts into them. Theyโll have the classic thumbprint cookie look and taste the same.
- Warm the jam up for a runny consistency. Runny jam is easier to add to the cookies and spread around. If your jam is too thick and gel-like (usually if there is more pectin in it), warm it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before using it.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can make the cookie dough ahead of time. Scoop the dough, roll them into balls, and press the indentation into them. You can then keep them in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze them for up to 1 month. Let them return to room temperature before filling them with jam and baking.
More cookie recipes to try
- Gingerbread Latte Cookies
- Chocolate Blossom Cookies
- Earl Grey Sugar Cookies
- Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
- Matcha Mochi Cookies
Recipe
Matcha Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
Ingredientsย ย
- 130 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon matcha powder, ceremonial or high-quality culinary grade
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 70 g powdered sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 80 g strawberry jam, warmed in the microwave if itโs too gel-like
Instructionsย
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Dry mixture: In a small bowl, stir together flour and matcha powder. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat softened butter until it becomes very creamy and pale in colour. Add the powdered sugar and cream together until smooth.
- Wet ingredients: Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Add dry to wet mixture: Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together.
- Scoop cookie dough: Use a 1-1.5 tablespoon scoop to scoop out the cookie dough into your hands. Roll the dough in between your hands until it forms a round ball. Place the cookie dough balls on your lined baking sheet, leaving about 1.5โ in between each ball.
- Press: Use your fingers to press down the dough balls slightly to create a flat surface. Use your thumb or the back of a ยผ teaspoon to press a heart design in the middle of the dough.
- Fill with jam: Add about ยฝ teaspoon of strawberry jam to the heart shape and push it around with the spoon to fill the whole shape.
- Bake: Bake cookies for about 10-11 minutes or until the surface looks dry and puffy. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
pj says
can use maple syrup to replace powdered sugar?
Tifa says
anything else as replacement for strawberry jam? thanks ๐
Gail Ng says
you can use any other kind of jam (raspberry, apricot, etc), cranberry sauce/jam, nutella, or chocolate ganache