Cherry Thumbprint Cookies

Name: Cherry Thumbprint Cookies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Cookies
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, softened; 1 cup sugar; 1 egg; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 cups flour; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons milk; 1/3 cup chopped Maraschino cherries; 36 Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped

January 27, 2021 by Tanya Schroeder · 35 Comments · Last updated: September 20, 2021

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Thumbprint cookies made with chopped cherries are slightly sweet and easy to eat! Each little cookie is filled with a milk chocolate kiss to make them extra special! These are colorful cookies that can be enjoyed all year long!

When I think of thumbprint cookies, I think of the cookies my mom makes for Christmas. You are probably familiar with them too. They are rolled in walnuts and filled with a variety of jelly flavors.

Personally, those are not my favorite thumbprint cookies. My favorite kind of thumbprint cookies have chocolate in them! You with me?

What Are Cherry Thumbprints?

Cherry thumbprints are soft, rolled cookies that are sweetened with chopped maraschino cherries and are baked just until set. When the cookies come out of the oven, a Hershey Kiss is placed right into the center of each cookie. The indentation made by the chocolate is just like a thumbprint right in the center!

What Do I Need To Make These Cookies?

Butter
Granulated sugar
Egg
Vanilla extract
All-Purpose flour
Baking soda
Salt
Milk
Maraschino cherries
Hershey’s Kiss

How To Make Cherry Thumbprint Cookies

STEP ONE – Preheat oven to 350. Remove wrappers from Kisses, set aside.

STEP TWO – Beat together butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with milk. Stir in chopped cherries.

STEP THREE – Shape dough into one-inch balls. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges have set.

STEP FOUR – Remove from oven and place one Hershey Kiss in the center of each cookie. Allow the cookies to set on on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a baking rack to cool completely.

How To Store Cherry Thumbprint Cookies

I am willing to wager that these cookies won’t last very long! The best way to store these thumbprint cookies is by placing them in even layers separated by parchment paper in an airtight container. The cookies will last 3-4 days.

You can also store the cookies as mentioned above and then place the cookies in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Recipe Tips

It is important that your butter is not too soft when you prepare the cookies. If your butter is too soft, your cookies will spread. It is always an option to place your dough in the refrigerator fr 30-60 minutes prior to rolling if you believe your batter is too soft.
Maraschino cherries have a lot of liquid in them and will turn your cookies pink. Feel free to pat your cherries dry with a paper towel if they have too much liquid.
If your dough becomes too sticky, use floured hands to roll out the cookies.
I used a tablespoon to scoop my dough and was able to get about 36 cookies total.
I used milk chocolate kisses, but you could any variety; there are so many seasonal options available. This recipe will work with almost any kind of candy! Dove chocolate, truffles, Snickers, Milky Ways…all good options. I would avoid anything with mint or peanut butter; neither complements the cherry flavor of the cookies

Yield: 3 dozen