Mission fig jam made with our California Dried Figs are a unique twist on the cookie plate staple: warming spice and fig jam make this fig jam thumbprint cookie recipe toasty—we have a hunch you’ll think these are the best cardamom cookies. The fig preserve thumbprint cookies are as unique as your fingerprint and a fun activity to do with young bakers.
Best Cardamom Cookies
Do you bake with cardamom? It comes at a spice store two ways—in pods or ground. Buying the spice in the pods that are then broken open with the seeds ground as you need them ensures the freshest flavor, but buying ground cardamom works in a pinch. The thing to remember with any spice is they have a shelf life of about six months. After this point the flavor isn’t quite as bright. Cardamom originates from the Indian sub-continent and Indonesia respectively. Here’s something you might not know—cardamom comes from the ginger botanical family.
Fig Preserve Thumbprint Cookies: Thumbs Up for Fig Jam
For the fig jam used in this thumbprint cookie recipe, we prefer to use our Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid black mission figs which adds a visual contrast against the cookie dough, but also the kind of familiar flavor reminiscent of your favorite fig-filled childhood cookie bar. Our Golden Figs would also be fantastic here with their slightly tangy, delicately sweet and nutty flavor that also plays well with cardamom. The one thing to think about if making that switch is as the Golden Figs cook down, the color of the final jam will be brown.
A Thumbprint Cookie Recipe for Fig Lovers
Thumbprint cookies are iconic and the fig jam thumbprint cookie is no exception. One thing that we love about thumbprint cookies is that they truly are one-of-a-kind.
Cardamom Fig Jam Thumbprint Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached white all purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg large
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Mission Fig Jam
- 3 tbsp confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, cardamom, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
- In a second bowl, combine butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed.
- Scoop cookies by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets leaving about 1 inch of space between each. Press your thumb into the top center of each cookie, making a deep depression.
- Fill each depression with fig spread. If desired, chill cookies for 1 hour before baking.
- Bake until the edges just begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then dust with confectioners’ sugar.
