Fourth of July Thumbprint Cookies
 
Prep time
Cook time
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A festive thumbprint cookie recipe with red and blue sugars and filled with a white vanilla buttercream frosting. Perfect for the 4th of July holiday.
Author:
Recipe type: Cookies
Serves: 24
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter (1 cup)
  • 1¾ ounces light brown sugar, packed (1/4 cup)
  • 1¾ ounces white granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla
  • 10 ounces all-purpose flour (2¼ cups)
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • colored fine sugars as desired
Vanilla Frosting
  • 9 ounces powdered sugar (2 cups), unsifted
  • 3 TBL butter, very soft
  • 3 TBL milk (can use any kind of milk here, skim, whole etc. Or use just water if you prefer)
  • ½ tsp vanilla
Instructions
  1. Cream softened butter and sugars together until mixed well.
  2. Add 1 egg yolk and vanilla. Beat well.
  3. Add flour and salt and mix until soft dough forms. You may need to finish mixing with your hands as dough is very thick, but it shouldn't crumble apart.
  4. Form small balls of dough and roll smoothly. Roll in sugars and place on silpat lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Using your thumb or forefinger, make a depression in each cookie. Try to keep cookie from cracking.
  5. Cover cookies with wrap or foil and chill 1 hour.
  6. After chilling, bake cookies at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven. Sometimes, if craters are not deep as I would like them, at this time, I will use the tip of a spoon to further indent while warm. Be careful not to crack the cookie.
  8. Cool for 30 minutes, then use a piping bag and tip to fill with frosting and sprinkle with sugars.
  9. I used a wilton # 21 open star tip, but you could also use a spoon to add frosting. Just thin your icing a bit more if using a spoon.
  10. FROSTING
  11. Mix powdered sugar & very soft butter with flat beater. Add milk and vanilla. Icing works well in a piping bag as is. If too thin, you can chill or add more powdered sugar. This icing will firm up quickly as it sets. Fill each cookie, then sprinkle with additional sugars.
Notes
I've included a sweet powdered sugar with butter frosting for the filling. You can tint the icing if you like for different holidays or occasions.
Recipe by Country Cupboard Cookies at https://countrycupboardcookies.com/fourth-of-july-thumbprint-cookies/