Wouldn’t you know, my always popular soft amaretti cookies work surprisingly well in thumbprint form, filled with amaretto-spiked jam or chocolate ganache.
Amaretti cookies are a reader favorite for a reason: these soft and chewy almond cookies are incredibly easy and ever-so versatile, not to mention naturally gluten free! This fun thumbprint version can be filled with just about anything, and makes for a perfect addition to your holiday cookie plate.
You all can’t get enough of my amaretti morbidi, or soft amaretti cookies. I mean, I wouldn’t have 11 variations in the archives if you didn’t.
I mean, talk about a versatile recipe… so far we’ve tried all sorts of flavors from chocolate to ube, swapped the almond flour for pistachio and hazelnut, mixed in sprinkles, vegan-ified them, and even stuffed them.
But the question today is… will they thumbprint?
I was optimistic they would, considering they usually hold their shape quite well when baking.
The only potential issue I could foresee was the cracking, which I usually encourage in the regular versions (the cracks being what make these cookies so stunning to begin with!) But I worried the cracks would be too big and the filling would ooze out.
I was, however, pleasantly surprised at just how well they transformed into thumbprints (not all cookie recipes can claim such versatility you know).
The cracking is still a concern, but is manageable with a slightly different technique than you may be used to for other thumbprint cookie recipes. Basically, you just need to be very gentle when you’re shaping the thumbprints not to let the cracks get too big, especially if you opt for a looser filling.
The thumbprint version bakes more quickly than the original cookies (give them a few more minutes if you want a bit of crunch on the bottoms), and I still recommend using two stacked cookie sheets to keep the bottoms from browning too quickly.
I also added a splash of amaretto liqueur to the cookies in place of the typical almond extract (because, amaretto amaretti just sounds gosh darn fun). Since amaretto is a very sweet liqueur, I reduced the sugar slightly to compensate (though I don’t recommend reducing it any more, as the sugar is what makes the cookie so delightfully soft and chewy).
I’ve made lots of thumbprint cookies over the years, but these ones are a little bit different.
While I typically use the bottom of a circular (as opposed to oval) half-teaspoon measuring spoon to shape my thumbprints, in this case I found it produced too many large cracks in the sides of the cookies.
So instead, after rolling the dough ball in sugar, I slightly flattened the ball between my palms. Then, I used the tip of my finger to make a smaller, more defined indentation in the middle (so I guess these are technically fingerprint cookies instead of thumbprints?) The rounded bottom of a wooden spoon would work here too. Whatever tool you use, go slow and be gentle! What you’re ideally looking for are lots of little thin cracks around the edges of the cookie, as opposed to a few larger ones.
You don’t have to worry too much about the shape of the indentation going into the oven, as you’ll further define the crater once the cookies come out of the oven.
When the cookie comes out of the oven, you’ll then want to grab your round measuring spoon and gently press into the indentation while the cookies are still warm (you can’t use your fingers here because cookies right out of the oven are hot hot. A melon baller, or even something like a mid-sized marble would work here too). Since the cookies puff a bit as they cook, this step helps re-define the thumbprint shape so you have room for more filling.
I like to think of these as a Choose Your Own Adventure cookie… start with the base recipe, then fill it with whatever your heart desires.
I originally tried to do some sort of amaretto cream filling (think like a cream liqueur truffle sort of filling), but the result was entirely too sweet. Maybe it would have worked with a shortbread-type cookie, but the amaretti cookies are pretty sweet to begin with so the powdered sugar-based filling was entirely overwhelming.
Instead, I opted for a variety of amaretto-infused fillings, including raspberry and apricot jam and chocolate ganache. The amaretto ganache is probably my favorite, the extra dark chocolate is a perfect counterpoint to the sweet almond cookie. Then again, the jams are both pretty darn good too (raspberry+almond and apricot+almond are classic pairings for a reason).
For the jam-filled cookies, I mixed a teaspoon or two of amaretto liqueur into the jam to enhance the flavor. My raspberry jam was noticeably thicker than the apricot, and even with the added liqueur it was plenty thick to hold its shape within the thumbprint.
The apricot, on the other hand, was much runnier, even after thickening it a bit with some cornstarch. You can see the difference in the photos, the thinner apricot isn’t quite as perky, in fact I was a bit worried the warm apricot jam would start oozing out the cracks. Luckily it held on just enough, but I still prefer the look of the thicker raspberry.
I know it’s often hard to tell the consistency of a jam until you open it, but if you have choices, seek out a low-sugar or naturally-sweetened jam, since that kind of jam is often thicker due to the added pectin, compared to more traditional-style jams and preserves which typically have a looser texture overall.
Any of my homemade jam recipes that use Pomona’s pectin (since they are lower-sugar recipes and the texture is typically on the thicker side) would work beautifully in these cookies!
The only difference in the jam-filled thumbprints as opposed to the ganache-filled is the jam needs to bake with the cookies for a few minutes (this helps the jam ‘set’ and better meld with the cookie). Ganache is added after the cookies have baked and cooled slightly.
For jam-filled thumbprints: take the cookies out about 5 minutes before they’re fully done. While they’re still hot, use the round bottom of a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon (something like a melon baller or even a marble would work too). Then drop small dollops of jam into the center of each cookie. Return to the oven for 4 to 5 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.
For ganache-filled thumbprints: bake the cookies all the way through. Remove from the oven and use your measuring spoon/marble/etc to re-define the indentation. Cool slightly, then you can fill the lukewarm cookies with your ganache.
If you find yourself with extra large cracks in your cookies or your cookies spread more than expected, don’t despair! Instead, I recommend using a thicker filling, maybe letting your ganache sit a bit longer and then pipe little kisses of ganache into the centers of the cookies (the thicker filling is not at risk of leaking out the sides). Something like a buttercream would work similarly here too.
These cookies are a bit harder to store and transport than the traditional amaretti, as the fillings are not completely solid and therefore the cookies shouldn’t be stacked. I recommend storing them in a single layer in an airtight container, at cool room temperature or refrigerated if you’d rather.
While the original amaretti cookies are great frozen (freeze the rolled and sugar-coated balls of dough, then you can bake them as needed straight from the freezer!) these thumbprints require a bit more planning: you’ll want to roll and shape the initial thumbprints first, then freeze. When you’re ready to bake, that’s when you’ll deal with the fillings. I don’t recommend freezing the fully baked and filled cookies.