Apricot Cream Cheese Thumbprints

These tender apricot cream cheese thumbprints are made with a cream cheese dough, lemon, and a spoonful of apricot preserves in the center. The cookies stay soft with a slightly tangy edge. They take about 2 hours including chilling and make 7 dozen.

The cream cheese in the dough is what keeps these soft and a little rich. Chilling the dough for an hour matters. Cold, firm dough holds the thumbprint shape and keeps the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.

Use about 1/2 teaspoon of preserves per cookie. Any more and it bubbles over the edge as it bakes. Wait until the cookies are fully cool before dusting with confectioners’ sugar, or it melts into the surface and disappears.

Apricot Cream Cheese Thumbprints

Author: Hamdi Saidani Courses:Cookies Summer Desserts

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 30 minutesCook time: 40 minutesRest time: 40 minutesTotal time:1 hour 50 minutesCooking Temp:100 CServings:4 servingsEstimated Cost:25 $Calories:300 kcal Best Season:Summer

Description

These apricot cream cheese thumbprints have a tender, tangy cream cheese dough with a sweet apricot center, finished with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
  
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1 cup apricot preserves
  
• 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, for decoration

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and cream cheese together until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the lemon juice and zest. Combine the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl, then stir it into the cream cheese mixture until just combined. Cover and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
   
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place them 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press your finger into the center of each ball to make an indentation, then fill it with 1/2 teaspoon of apricot preserves.
   
3. Bake until the edges are golden, switching racks halfway through, about 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheets briefly, then move them to wire racks to cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Repeat with the remaining dough.

FAQs

Why do I need to chill the dough?

Chilling firms up the butter and cream cheese so the dough holds its shape. Skip it and the cookies spread, which flattens the thumbprint indentation. An hour in the fridge is enough. I use the same chill step in my Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies

How much apricot preserves goes in each cookie?

About 1/2 teaspoon. Filling past that makes the preserves bubble over the edges as they bake and stick to the pan.

When should I dust them with confectioners’ sugar?

After they’ve cooled completely. Sugar on warm cookies melts into the surface and disappears, so wait until they’re cool for that snowy finish.

Can I make these cookies ahead?

Yes. The dough needs an hour to chill anyway, so you can mix it a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Baked cookies keep in an airtight container for several days.

Can I use a different jam instead of apricot?

Yes. Blackberry, strawberry, or cherry preserves all work the same way. Just keep it to about 1/2 teaspoon per cookie. For a raspberry version, see my Blackberry Jam