Pinterest Image Cookies – Easy 50-Minute Treat

Some recipes are made for the camera. This is one of them.

Pinterest Image cookies are soft butter cookies pressed with a thumb, filled with bright jam, and finished with a dusting of sugar. They hold their shape, they photograph beautifully, and they taste like something from a quiet afternoon.

The method is simple. Cream the butter, chill the dough, press, fill, bake. Nothing fancy. Just good ingredients and a little patience.

About the Ingredients

1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened

European-style butter gives a richer flavor. If using salted butter, skip the added salt.

2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar

Caster sugar dissolves faster. Pulse regular sugar in a blender for 10 seconds if needed.

1 large egg yolk, room temperature

Save the white for brushing the cookies. Cold yolk can break the emulsion.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Use pure extract, not imitation. Almond extract works as a 1/2 teaspoon swap.

2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour

Spoon and level the flour. A kitchen scale is more reliable here.

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Kosher salt works if you crush the flakes. Do not skip it; it balances the jam.

1/2 cup (160g) raspberry or apricot jam

Seedless preserves give the cleanest look. Stir well before filling.

2 tablespoons powdered sugar, for dusting

Add a pinch of cinnamon if you like. Dust after cooling, not before.

Tips & Tricks

Chill the dough

Warm dough spreads and loses the thumbprint. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before shaping.

Do not overfill

A level 1/2 teaspoon of jam keeps the center neat. Too much bubbles over the edge.

Watch the bottoms

Pale tops are fine, but golden edges mean done. Oven heat varies by rack position.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar

Beat the softened butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Scrape the bowl once so the mixture stays even.

2. Add yolk and vanilla

Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until fully absorbed, about 30 seconds. The mixture should look smooth, not curdled.

3. Mix dry ingredients

Whisk the flour and salt in a separate bowl. Add it to the butter mixture on low speed just until the dough comes together.

4. Chill the dough

Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cold dough holds its shape in the oven.

5. Shape and press

Roll 1-tablespoon balls and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined sheet. Press a deep well in each center with your thumb.

6. Fill the wells

Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each well. Keep the filling level with the rim so it does not overflow.

7. Bake at 350F (175C)

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the jam bubbles at the edges. The centers will look slightly soft.

8. Cool and dust

Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Dust with powdered sugar once fully cool.

Delicious Variations

Chocolate thumbprints

Swap 1/4 cup of flour for cocoa powder and fill with cherry jam.

Nutty version

Roll the dough balls in finely chopped pecans before pressing the well.

Citrus twist

Add 1 teaspoon orange zest to the dough and use marmalade in the center.

How to Store Pinterest Image

Frequently Asked Questions

Make a batch this weekend and see how they look on your own table. The dough is forgiving, the process is quiet, and the result is worth the small effort. Less noise, more signal.

Pinterest Image

Pinterest Image cookies are buttery, jam-filled thumbprint bites that look stunning on any board and taste even better with tea.

★★★★½ 4.8 (214 ratings)

15 minPrep time35 minCook time24Servings142 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup (160g) raspberry or apricot jam
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, for dusting

📋 Instructions

1. 1Cream butter and sugar — Beat the softened butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Scrape the bowl once so the mixture stays even.
2. 2Add yolk and vanilla — Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla until fully absorbed, about 30 seconds. The mixture should look smooth, not curdled.
3. 3Mix dry ingredients — Whisk the flour and salt in a separate bowl. Add it to the butter mixture on low speed just until the dough comes together.
4. 4Chill the dough — Flatten the dough into a disk, wrap it, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cold dough holds its shape in the oven.
5. 5Shape and press — Roll 1-tablespoon balls and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined sheet. Press a deep well in each center with your thumb.
6. 6Fill the wells — Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each well. Keep the filling level with the rim so it does not overflow.
7. 7Bake at 350F (175C) — Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the jam bubbles at the edges. The centers will look slightly soft.
8. 8Cool and dust — Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Dust with powdered sugar once fully cool.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: A level 1/2 teaspoon of jam is the difference between a clean center and a sticky mess. Measure once and you will see.

Servings: 24

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

Nutrition (per serving): 142 kcal · 2g protein · 16g carbs · 8g fat

Written by Kenji Tanaka

Kenji explores technology and digital minimalism, helping readers declutter their digital lives and focus on what matters. He writes about app selection, notification management, and creating healthy tech habits, based on his own experiments with unplugging.