Do you love the combination of perfectly sandy and sweet shortbread cookies with a delicious jam? Then you will love this best gluten free shortbread thumbprint cookie recipe.
This recipe may look a little familiar, as it uses the best gluten free shortbread cookie ever from last year’s holiday dessert share. However, it is how you form them and what you add, that makes this cookie different. Other variations would be to follow the recipe, and all the steps for making the dough into balls; but instead of making an indentation, you can place a gluten free chocolate like a piece of Toblerone, a Hershey kiss, or your favourite gluten free chocolate. Check out our gluten free chocolate list for more options.
The best gluten free shortbread thumbprint cookie recipe is the third recipe in our Gluten Free Holiday Dessert Recipe series. Previously we shared a round-up of holiday desserts from last year’s series, in response to many requests from our readers; and then the best gluten free tiramisu recipe. We’ll share a new gluten free holiday recipe every Tuesday until December 20th, 2022.
The Best Gluten Free Shortbread Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
- 1/3 cup rice flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/4 c soft butter
- Jam of your choice- I prefer seedless raspberry jam
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Line an edged cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Place flour, icing sugar, rice flour and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine.
- Dice cold butter into small cubes.
- Feed the cubes into the food processor just until the dough starts to come together.
- Add in softened butter, and mix well in the food processor.
Tip: The soft butter helps make the dough pliable.
- Place a large piece of plastic wrap on your workbench.
- Put cookie dough onto the plastic wrap, and knead lightly. This is so the dough comes together and forms a ball.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and then shape to form a disk.
- Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- Remove from fridge. If the dough is too hard to roll, allow it to warm slightly, until it is just pliable.
- Take a pinch of dough and roll it into about a 1-inch ball
Tip: You can use a cookie scoop to help portion your dough into even balls.
Tip: Roll all the balls before making the indentations so that you can ensure they are all even.
- After you have rolled all of the balls, take one and place it in the palm of your hand.
- Using either the knuckle of your pointer finger or the backside of a teaspoon measuring spoon, gently push it into the top of the ball and push down gently.
Tip: By holding the dough ball as you make the indent, it can help to prevent cracking.
- Once you remove your knuckle or the back of the spoon, you will probably still notice some cracking. Gently pinch the cracks closed and then with the back of your finger pad it down so there isn’t a ridge.
Tip: You know that any large cracks in the dough now, will become even bigger cracks after they are baked.
- Repeat this for all of your thumbprint cookies.
- If you want to add a mix-in like a Hershey kiss or a piece of Toblerone instead of making the indent, insert the chocolate, and repair any cracks in the dough.
- Take all of the unbaked thumbprint cookies, and either place them on a very small tray, that you can fit in your fridge, or put them in a large Tupperware. They can touch, but they cannot be on top of each other. Place in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes. This is to help the cookie not to spread.
- Then place the chilled cookies on the baking tray. Make sure cookies are evenly spaced, so they are not touching on the pan. Err on the side of caution and place fewer cookies on the tray, and work in batches.
- Bake until the bottom of the cookies is just golden, 25 to 30 min.
Tip: If the indented center of the cookie puffs up while baking, you can gently press it back down, with the back of a measuring spoon, once out of the oven.
- Remove parchment and place on a cooling rack- if you have one.
- Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for several weeks.
Tip: If wrapped well (wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then double bagged) the dough can stay in the freezer for up to six months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and then leave it out on the counter for 30 minutes until it is pliable enough to roll. You can then have delicious cookies, in the oven quickly. This is a great tip to have fresh cookies for unexpected company or just a cookie craving.
- When serving, place about a 1/2 tsp of your favourite jam in the indent in the cookie. And enjoy.
Tip: You can make the best gluten free shortbread recipe and make three kinds of cookies out of one dough. This is an easy way to add variety to your cookie tray or even a cookie-baking night.
So stay tuned and check back on Tuesdays, to see what desserts we are whipping up. To truly impress your guests!
What is your favourite gluten-free holiday dessert recipe?
Let us know in the comments below.
And if you would like to share a picture of any of your creations, please tag us, to encourage our other members to try these recipes!
The secret ingredient in baking is always love.
🎄 Happy Baking 🎄
Using either the knuckle of your pointer finger or the backside of a teaspoon measuring spoon, gently push it into the top of the ball and push down gently. 
Ingredients
INSTRUCTIONS/NOTES/TIPS
NOTES/TIPS