Clotted Cream Strawberry Thumbprints (Print Version)

Tender, buttery cookies filled with clotted cream and sweet strawberry jam, perfect for teatime.

# Components:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 large egg yolk
06 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Fillings

07 - 1/2 cup clotted cream
08 - 1/3 cup strawberry jam

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in egg yolk and vanilla extract until well combined.
05 - Gradually mix in dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
06 - Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
07 - Use your thumb or the back of a teaspoon to make a deep indentation in the center of each ball.
08 - Fill each indentation with approximately 1/2 teaspoon clotted cream, then top with 1/4 teaspoon strawberry jam.
09 - Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden.
10 - Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look fancy enough to impress but honest enough that even a baking mishap turns into something beautiful.
  • The clotted cream filling stays impossibly creamy while the cookie stays crisp on the outside—it's the textural balance that keeps you reaching for just one more.
  • You can make the dough in under 10 minutes, which means teatime can happen on even the busiest afternoons.
02 -
  • Room temperature butter is everything—if you forget to soften it, your cookies will be dense and difficult to work with, so plan ahead.
  • The indentations must be deep enough to hold the filling, but if you press too hard and the dough tears, it's fine; just gently pinch it back together.
03 -
  • Let your butter soften naturally at room temperature rather than microwaving it—you want soft, not oily, which makes a texture difference you'll absolutely feel when you bite into the cookie.
  • The jam and clotted cream layer beautifully if you add the cream first and let it set the filling's base, so resist the urge to reverse the order.
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