Thumbprint Cookies with Icing: A Vintage Holiday Winner
Sneak Preview: Thumbprint Cookies with Icing are traditional rolled cookies coated with pecans and filled with colored frosting. The taste and texture are similar to a buttery shortbread cookie. These are my husband’s favorite Christmas cookies!

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This vintage thumbprint cookie recipe is my family’s favorite holiday cookie. I bet your family would agree that these shortbread-type cookies are the best. Because they are a bit labor-intensive, we usually save them for Christmas Day.

The original recipe is simple–straight out of the Betty Crocker Cooky Book, copyright 1963. This book was obviously my mom’s. I was too young to be cooking anything this fancy in 1963. Wasn’t I???
Happy Bakers Speak Up
“I made these for a Christmas party last night and they were delicious! I made two batches: one rolled in pecans with green swirl frosting and one rolled in shredded coconut with red swirl frosting. Both looked beautiful and tasted great. I have always done thumbprint cookies with jam but I like the frosting much better. Thanks for the good idea and good recipe.” — ALY B.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- SHORTENING: We are talking about good old-fashioned Crisco. It helps these cookies to hold their shape. We only eat these cookies once a year, so I don’t feel guilty about it. Also, Crisco stays fresh in the pantry for a long time. Use 100% butter if you don’t want to use shortening.
- BUTTER: You could substitute margarine for butter, but the buttery flavor is the biggest selling point of these cookies. I wouldn’t settle for anything but butter.
- BROWN SUGAR: Brown sugar makes a denser, moister cookie. Dense is good when you have to bear the weight of those yummy pecans.
- EGG: Use large-size eggs if possible.
- VANILLA EXTRACT: You probably have this in your cabinet, but if not, you could leave it out.
- FLOUR: I always use unbleached all-purpose flour, but bleached all-purpose flour is fine, too.
- PECANS: Pecans are my family’s first choice. If you don’t want any nuts, you could roll the cookies in sugar–or nothing.
How To Form Thumbprint Cookies with Icing









How To Make Marbleized Icing
Instead of using a solid color icing, drop the tiniest amount of liquid food coloring into a bowl of icing. (Don’t miss the video to see this in action.)


Without stirring, carefully use a spoon to pick up a little of the color. Try to get mostly white icing. Then, use a second spoon to push the icing onto the cookie.
This process will slightly mix and swirl the color. It doesn’t take much extra effort.
Alternative Method for the Frosting

Frequently Asked Questions
That depends. If you like larger cookies (a tablespoon or more of dough), you won’t even get two dozen.
I think most people prefer smaller cookies when they’re looking at a cookie tray as is usually the case on Christmas. Using a 2-teaspoon spring-loaded cookie scoop will give you exactly 28 bite-sized cookies.
Another reason to make these cookies smaller is that they can be a bit crumbly. One bit is much neater to eat.
If you need lots of cookies, double the recipe. I’ve done it many times.
A teaspoon of jam (strawberry jam or raspberry jam are always popular) or jelly–this is an opportunity to utilize your favorite flavors
Chocolate ganache
Chocolate frosting
If you have a different idea, please leave it in the comments.
Walnuts are a good alternative. If you have someone with a nut allergy in the family, try rolling the cookies in sugar. It will be a completely different cookie but still delicious.
Yes. Wrap well (double-wrap) and keep in the freezer for up to three months. They will stay fresh on the counter in a sealed container for three to four days.
1. Use a small cork instead of your finger or thumb for the neatest indentation.
2. Make your indentation before baking the cookies.
3. Press your finger or cork into the cookie dough gently so as not to crack the dough. If it cracks, push it back together.
4. Don’t chill the dough or allow it to dry before making the balls.
5. Measure the flour carefully. Too much flour will make the dough dry.
Parting Thoughts: Don’t worry too much if you get cracks or drip icing over the side. The pecans camouflage the cracks much better than sugar when making traditional thumbprints.
Also, perfect cookies look like they came from the store. Imperfect homemade Christmas cookies = love!
Need help troubleshooting? Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com—photos welcome!
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.