Name: Sourdough Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies - Trim Healthy Mama XO |
Yield: 24

Are you looking for a Trim Healthy Mama-approved Thumbprint cookies that taste similar to the 'old' ones you know and love? Look no further!

These sourdough cranberry thumbprint cookies are simple to make and filled with festive and holiday flavors. You will want to put them on the cookie-making docket for every holiday season!

This recipe was originally created to be featured in our Tipsmas holiday class! I wanted to create something that the ladies could make with sourdough that would be reminiscent of the sugary cookies that they remember from childhood. Thumbprint cookies immediately came to my mind.

Why make sourdough cookies that are on the Trim Healthy Mama plan for the holidays?

One of the reasons some people don't enjoy THM cookies as much during the holidays is that they have traditions and memories that affect how much they can enjoy holiday treats! The THM ones just don't taste like Grandma!

Holiday baking typically has a magic ingredient called yeast that acts as a leveling agent and makes desserts, light and fluffy. This is something that THM desserts do not have. We are using the typical baking blend, which has its own set of magic and we love it for what it does: provides us a low-carb option for dessert making.

But is there a way to enjoy some light and fluffy desserts that taste closer to our off-plan memories?! YES! It's called sourdough baking!

These cranberry thumbprint cookies are light and fluffy. If you happen to be naughty (like me) and taste the dough before cooking it, you may not want to stop eating it! They taste exactly like how I remember thumbprint cookies tasting. They have a shortbread taste and that lovely burst of flavor from the jam in the middle.

Come along as we make this holiday favorite.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
FAQ
Sourdough Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies - Trim Healthy Mama XO

Ingredients

Use a clear shot of the ingredients for this recipe, prepped, and labeled if necessary. Insert the ingredients into the list below, omitting quantities.

Unsalted butter (room temperature)
Gentle Sweet (and extra Gentle Sweet to-roll cookies in_
Large eggs (room temperature)
Vanilla extract
Einkorn sourdough starter discard (room temperature)
Einkorn flour (whole wheat)
Fine sea salt
Baking powder

Cranberry Jam Ingredients

Gentle Sweet
Cranberries
Water
Gluconomman

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

The process for making these is very simple, but for Trim Healthy Mamas, I want to emphasize the importance of letting the dough ferment for at least 7 hours. You must have this to be on plan and for the cookies to be gentle on your blood sugar.

In a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and sourdough starter discard, and beat until combined.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients until just mixed. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl.

Roll dough into a ball and place it on the countertop for at least 7 hours for a room temperature ferment. This step is essential to stay on plan with THM.

Meanwhile, put 1 cup of cranberries in a saucepan with about 2 tablespoon of water. Cook on medium heat until the cranberries pop and it creates a jam consistency. Add 1 tablespoon of Gentle Sweet. Sprinkle Glucomannan. Stir in well. Set aside.

Place Gentle Sweet in a small bowl. Use a cookie scoop to measure out a 1 tablespoon size portion of cookie dough and shape into a ball. Roll it in the granulated sugar to coat.

Place the dough ball on the baking sheet and use your thumb or the back of a measuring spoon to press an indentation into the dough ball. Spoon cranberry jam into the indention.

Place Gentle Sweet in a small bowl. Use a cookie scoop to measure out a 1 tablespoon size portion of cookie dough and shape into a ball. Roll it in the granulated sugar to coat.

Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes. Once the cookies have cooled completely, dust the tops with monk fruit powder sugar (or Gentle Sweet).

Hint: Buy a cookie scoop! I waited for years to buy one and now that I did, I'm amazed at my nicely rounded cookies, and trust me, they save time, especially if you are a little bit of a perfectionist!

Substitutions

Any sourdough discard starter will work in this recipe. Einkorn is incredibly absorbent of water so you may need to reduce your egg to only one if your dough seems too squishy. Start with one egg and add another if needed.

Variations

You can certainly make some variations to this recipe! Use your own type of sugar-free jam or use a different type of sourdough starter.

Another great sourdough discard recipe is my monster cookies!

Equipment

Stand mixer
Cookies scooper
Bowl
Spatula

Find all my kitchen essentials in my Amazon Kitchen Essentials storefront!

Storage

These can stay on the counter for up to 2 days. After that, they need to head into the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Top tip

Share something here that you think is key to making this recipe well, such as: Don't overcook the burgers! Sear the outside and cook to a minimum internal temperature, but they should still be juicy for best results.

FAQ

Can thumbprint cookie dough be refrigerated overnight?

Absolutely! Be sure to wrap it in plastic. The dough will continue to ferment so the health benefits will just increase!

Should refrigerated cookie dough be brought to room temperature before baking?

For these cookies, I do not recommend bringing them to room temperature if you place the dough in the refrigerator. They need to be easy to scoop! However, they don't necessarily need to be refrigerated if you simply have them on the countertop for a ferment. If you can easily scoop the dough, just place the dough on the cookie trays and go! If they seem to be harder to scoop, you can place them into the refrigerator to cool off.