Bitter Orange and Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies

This is my nineteenth offering in the 2025 Alphabet Challenge, our second year of working our way through the alphabet with recipes. It's actually the 20th post, but I missed the letter 'R' because I was traveling. But I'm back for the rest of the year. It's hard to believe that we are almost into the final quarter of the year...and the alphabet. We post every other week for the entire alphabet and this is year two. Thanks for starting this series, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm.

T is for...

• Bitter Orange and Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies by Culinary Cam (you're here)

• Blueberry Buckle Tassies by A Messy Kitchen

• Budget-Friendly Chunky Potato Soup with Thyme by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

• Michigan End of Summer Harvest Salad by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Mini Taco Salad Cups by Mayuri’s Jikoni

• Pass Around Macaroni and Tomatoes by Palatable Pastime

• Roasted Chicken Thighs with Stuffing by Food Lust People Love

• Tangerine Ricotta Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories

• Thakkali Chammanthi /Tomato Chutney by Sneha’s Recipe

• Thanksgiving Turkey Veggie Platter by Blogghetti

• Tomato Tortellini Soup by Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Bitter Orange and Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies

When I was looking for a sweet treat to end a private dinner party. I looked no further than some bitter orange marmalade and blackberry preserves that I had in my cabinet. Thumbprint cookies were an easy and tasty solution.

I have been making this cookie for years, but it's recent that I make them gluten-free. I use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. If you are not gluten-free, feel free to use regular flour.

Ingredients

makes approximately 30 cookies

• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature

• 3/4 cup organic granulated sugar

• 2 eggs (if not making gluten-free, use 2 egg yolks only)

• 2 cups flour (I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour)

• 1/2 cup ground almonds

• 2 teaspoons gin (you can use water if you don't have gin)

• bitter orange marmalade and blackberry preserves

Procedure

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in the eggs until incorporated. Stir in the flour and ground almonds until a flaky dough is formed. Add in the gin, gently working the dough until it forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes before proceeding. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pinch off pieces of dough and form into small balls, about the size of a walnut in its shell. Place each ball onto a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet, pressing a "thumbprint" into the center of each and slightly flattening. (The cookies will not spread, so make them the size that you want!)

Add about 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of jam to each thumbprint. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cookies cool for several minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

This Time Last Year...

My posts are below with links to everyone else's recipes. I skipped letter 'F' apparently. Enjoy!

• A Reclaimed Æbleskiver Pan + Æbleskiver Bread Pudding

• Börek with a California Twist

• Crab-Stuffed Ravioli

• Dark Chocolate-Juniper Panna Cotta

• Elderflower & Roasted Strawberry Layer Cake

• Aïgo Bouido (Provençal Garlic Soup)

• Halva with Fiori di Sicilia

• I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Saffron-Cardamom Ice Cream

• Bulgogi-Inspired Oven Beef Jerky

• Purple Napa Kimchi

• Lingcod Over Legumes

• Mushrooms in My Cookies? Yep. Candy Cap Cookies.

• Nocino, Italian Green Walnut Liqueur

• How to Shuck Oysters and a Few Serving Ideas

• A Parade of Pickles, Including Pickled Chard Stems

• Quesabirria Tacos

• Rose Petal-Strawberry Granita

• Buttermilk Shortcakes with Macerated Berries

• Toasted Croutons

So Far This Year...

Again: my posts are below with links to everyone else's recipes.

• The Polarizing Anchovy + Egg Salad Niçoise

• A Belated Birthday Bûche De Noël (Yule Log)

• Lemon Lavender Blackberry Cake

• Gluten-Free Crystal Dumplings in Noodle Soup

• A Dozen Eggs - Stuffed, Scotch, Curried, and More

• Fig Leaf-Wrapped Cheese

• Garlicky Fregola with Edamame, Mint, and Ricotta

• Huckleberry & Earl Grey Tea Cakes

• Es Teler (Indonesian Drunk Ice)

• Inspired by a One-Word Text: Jjamppong

• A Fruit Formerly Known as ‘Kaffir’ + Makrut-Kissed Cookies

• Enamored with Culinary Lavender: From Sips to Sweets

• Mini Peach Galettes

• White Nectarine-Lime Jam

• Octopus: Takoyaki, a Japanese Snack Food, from a Santa Cruz Apartment

• Brunede Kartofler (Danish Caramel Potatoes)

• Quince Sharlotka

• I missed 'R' but you can see everyone's post in Wendy's R is for Rustic Rye Sourdough Loaf

• Semifreddo al Miele

That's a wrap for my offering for the letter 't'. We will be back in two weeks with the letter 'u'. Stay tuned!