"It's that time of year when cookies seem to fly out of the oven a mile a minute. Between office party potlucks and tins delivered to friends and neighbors, bakers put their cookie recipes to serious use during the month of December. And while the classics like chocolate chip, sugar cookies, and gingerbread never fail to please, when was the last time you dug farther back into your recipe collection and revisited Grandma's old-fashioned holiday favorites?"
"Thumbprint cookies, sometimes festively referred to as "Santa's Thumbprints," are one of those retro treats that never fully disappeared from holiday baking. The thumbprint method is simple: start with a soft, springy sugar cookie dough, roll it into small balls, and press your thumb into the center to create a little well. Some people even make two indents side by side for a heart shape. That dent is then filled with jam either before or after baking, depending on the texture you prefer."
Cookies are especially prolific in December for office potlucks and tins for friends and neighbors. Classics such as chocolate chip, sugar cookies, and gingerbread still please, yet many older holiday cookies have quietly fallen out of rotation. Some recipes disappeared because taste preferences changed or because simpler, quicker recipes took their place. Many retro treats remain flavorful, easy to make, and in some cases more visually impressive than modern staples. Mid-20th-century home bakers favored colorful glazes, molded shapes, and festive garnishes. Reviving nostalgic recipes can recreate childhood holiday magic or start new family traditions. Thumbprint cookies use a pressed well filled with jam and appear in Betty Crocker's Cooky Book from 1963.
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