Description
These red velvet thumbprint cookies are pillowy, buttery, and filled with a tangy cream cheese custard — all the festive vibes in a single bite. They’re perfect for holiday platters or a sweet winter pick-me-up.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons red food coloring
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar or decorative sanding sugar (optional)
Cream Cheese Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep dry ingredients. In a medium bowl whisk the flour, cocoa powder, and salt until evenly blended. Set aside.
- Cream the base. In a large mixing bowl, beat the soft butter with the brown sugar until light and airy. Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla until smooth.
- Bring the dough together. Add the dry mix to the butter mixture, then stir in the red food coloring. Mix just until a soft dough forms — don’t overwork it.
- Chill the dough. Shape the dough into a log or flatten into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours) to firm up.
- Heat the oven. Preheat to 300°F (150°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Portion and sugar-coat. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough, roll into balls, and, if desired, roll each ball in granulated or sanding sugar. Place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet.
- Press the wells. Use the back of a rounded teaspoon to press a shallow well into the center of each dough ball.
- Bake once. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookie edges look set but the centers are still soft.
- Mix the filling. While the cookies bake, beat the cream cheese with the egg yolk, sugar, salt, and vanilla until the mixture is silky and lump-free.
- Fill and finish baking. Remove the pan from the oven and, if needed, deepen each indentation. Spoon roughly 1 teaspoon of filling into each well, then return the tray to the oven and bake another 12 minutes, or until the filling is just set.
- Cool. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Makes roughly 2–3 dozen cookies (about 24 is a useful estimate for nutrition calculations).
- For best shape, let the pans cool between batches or use two sheets alternately.
- If the filling jiggles too much after the final bake, give the tray a couple more minutes in the oven — you want it set, not liquid.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1cookie
- Calories: 169kcal
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 102mg
- Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 41mg