Hallongrottor - Swedish thumbprint cookies

Hallongrottor cookies on a black wire cooling rack.

Hallongrottor - Swedish thumbprint cookies

Hallongrottor are buttery, melt-in-the-mouth Swedish thumbprint cookies. The name very aptly means 'Raspberry caves' in Swedish, referring to the signature thumbprint indentation filled with raspberry jam in the centre of the cookie. They are a classic snack in Sweden and it's also believed this is where thumbprint cookies originated from.

5 from 65 votes

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Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Swedish

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Fridge time: 15

Total Time: 40

Servings: cookies at 25g each

Calories: 133kcal

Author: Maretha Corbett

Equipment

1 large baking sheet

Ingredients

▢ 150 grams unsalted butter - softened, room temperature
▢ 4 tablespoons caster sugar
▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
▢ 180 grams all purpose flour
▢ 2 tablespoons cornflour
▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
▢ 3 tablespoons raspberry jam

Instructions

Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Don't preheat the oven just yet.
In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and caster sugar until light and creamy. About 2-3 minutes. You can use a stand mixer, electric hand mixer or a hand whisk for this step.
150 grams unsalted butter, 4 tablespoons caster sugar
Add the vanilla extract and beat again until combined.
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the all purpose flour, cornflour and baking power by hand (use a small whisk or a fork).
180 grams all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons cornflour, 2 teaspoons baking powder
Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat on a low speed just until the dough comes together. It will look crumbly at first, but keep beating.
Break off portions of dough equal in size and role into balls. If you want to be precise, you can weigh each portion. 25g gives you a good sized cookie and this recipe will yield 15 cookies of that weight.
Space the dough balls out on the prepared baking sheet, allowing enough space between each cookie. About 6-7cm/2.5".
With your thumb, or the back of a small measuring spoon, push down on each dough ball to form a hollow. If small cracks appear on the sides of the cookies as you push down onto it, don't worry, just smooth them over with your fingertip.
Fill each hollow with about ½ teaspoon of raspberry jam. This will depend on how big you made the hollow. Just fill it enough to be ever so slightly higher than the cookie itself. The jam will melt during baking and drop down a little.
3 tablespoons raspberry jam
Place the baking sheet with prepared cookies in the fridge whilst you wait for the oven to pre-heat. This will prevent the cookies from spreading too much whilst baking.
Preheat the oven to 170℃/340℉/gas mark 3.
When the oven is ready, remove the cookies from the fridge and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start turning a light golden brown.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

Notes

Don't overmix the dough, stop as soon as all the ingredients come together. Overmixing can lead to tougher cookies.

Use kitchen scales for precise measuring. If you don't have any, add it to your Christmas wish list!

Using the back of a small measuring spoon, like a half-teaspoon measure, will give you a perfect hollow. You can of course use your thumb, but some people have long nails and that just doesn't work in this instance.

If you find the dough is too soft to roll, as it may be warm where you are, place the bowl with the cookie dough in the fridge for 10-15 minutes and try again.

When putting the baking tray in the oven, make sure it's straight and not lying at a slight angle. If the tray is skew, the jam will start pooling towards one side of the hollow.

If you find that after baking, some cookies' jam has sunk down too far (which happens when not enough jam was added), just fill it up with a tiny bit more jam. It won't be as sticky as the baked jam, but adding a small amount of fresh jam won't be that noticeable. Do it whilst the cookies are still very hot from the oven and then the new jam will meld with the baked jam.

Nutritional data disclaimer

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.

Nutrition