Clotted Cream Strawberry Thumbprint (Printable)

Buttery thumbprint cookies filled with clotted cream and strawberry jam, ideal for teatime treats.

# What You’ll Need:

→ 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

# How-To Steps:

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 softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Beat egg yolk and vanilla extract into the butter mixture until well combined.
05 - Gradually mix dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a soft dough forms.
06 - Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
07 - Use thumb or back of teaspoon to make a deep indentation in the center of each dough 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 until edges are lightly golden.
10 - Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The dough comes together faster than you'd expect, making these perfect for when you want homemade without the fuss.
  • That moment when warm clotted cream melts slightly into the jam is genuinely addictive—it tastes far more luxurious than the ingredient list suggests.
  • They're elegant enough for company but casual enough to eat standing at the kitchen counter.
02 -
  • Don't fill the cookies while they're still hot—the heat will melt the clotted cream and make everything slip off, a discovery I made after my third attempt.
  • Clotted cream should be cold before it meets the jam; if it's warm or room temperature, it becomes too soft to hold its shape in the thumbprint.
03 -
  • Make the dough the night before and refrigerate it—the flavors deepen and the dough becomes easier to work with, plus you can bake fresh cookies whenever you want.
  • Room-temperature clotted cream is the secret to texture; take it out of the fridge while your cookies bake so it's ready to fill by the time they've cooled.
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