These Strawberry Jam Cookies are melt-in-your-mouth vanilla bean thumbprint cookies filled with strawberry jam, then drizzled with vanilla bean glaze! So versatile and delicious, you'll find yourself making them for every occasion!
Line baking sheets with parchment (see note) and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and ½ cup vanilla sugar (see note). Beat until light and fluffy, at least three minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add egg yolks and vanilla bean paste (see note). Mix to combine.
Gradually add the flour/salt mixture and mix until you don't see any more flour. The mixture will be a little crumbly and won't have formed a ball, and that's okay. Stopping the mixer when the ingredients are just combined will help keep the cookies tender.
Portion the dough into 1-Tablespoon size balls (see note) and roll between your palms to make them round. Because the dough is a little crumbly, it may feel like it's not coming together right away. Just keep rolling and it will work!
If desired, roll the dough balls in ¼ cup vanilla sugar to coat. This step is optional, but I liked the slight sparkle of the sugar and the black flecks of vanilla bean. It's also delicious!
Place the dough balls at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Using your thumb/knuckle/back of a small measuring spoon (or whatever works for you), make a small indentation in the center of each cookie. Chill the cookies for 30 minutes (this will help them keep their shape when baking.)
Once the cookies have chilled, preheat your oven to 375° F. Fill each indentation with the strawberry jam. If the jam is too difficult to work with, you may need to stir and/or heat the jam in the microwave for 5-10 seconds so you can pour or pipe the jam into the cookie.
Bake cookies for 6-8 minutes, or until just barely golden on the bottoms (I usually bake a test cookie first to get the timing just right for the rest). Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.
For Glaze
Mix all glaze ingredients in a small bowl. If the glaze is too thin, you can add a little powdered sugar to thicken it. If too thick, add a small amount of water to thin to the desired consistency.
Spoon or pipe the glaze over the cookies. Allow the glaze to set before serving.Enjoy!
Notes
Note on vanilla sugar: I am smitten with the flavor of vanilla sugar, and just love the little flecks of vanilla bean in the cookies! To me, this is the little extra oomph that makes this recipe special. You can buy vanilla sugar or make it yourself (see my Homemade Vanilla Sugar recipe)! If you prefer, you can substitute with regular granulated sugar.Note on vanilla bean paste: One of my favorite ingredients for fantastic flavor! If you prefer to substitute, you can use an equal measure of vanilla extract.Note on parchment: I like using nonstick parchment on my pans to ensure no sticking and for easier cleanup.Note on portioning dough: I use a small cookie scoop (1 tablespoon in volume) to portion out my cookie dough. Your hands will stay cleaner and your cookies will be more uniform in size/bake more evenly if you use a scoop.