Torticas de Guayaba Thumbprint (Printable Version)

Buttery vanilla thumbprint cookies filled with sweet guava jam—a beloved Cuban treat

# Ingredient List:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg yolk
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Chocolate Variation

07 - 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, optional

→ Filling

08 - 1/2 cup guava jam or paste, softened

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
03 - Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until fully combined.
04 - Gradually mix in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms. For chocolate variation, replace 2 tablespoons flour with cocoa powder and blend thoroughly.
05 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
06 - Using your thumb or the back of a spoon, make a deep indentation in the center of each cookie.
07 - Fill each indentation with approximately 1/2 teaspoon of guava jam or softened guava paste.
08 - Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown.
09 - Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They bake in under 15 minutes, so you can have homemade cookies cooling on the rack before anyone even notices what you're doing.
  • The tropical guava filling feels fancy and unexpected, but the dough itself is pure, uncomplicated butter cookie comfort.
  • You can make them plain, chocolatey, or experiment with different jams without the recipe falling apart on you.
02 -
  • Don't bake these until the edges are truly golden or you'll have cookies that feel cake-like instead of tender; 12 to 14 minutes is the sweet spot, and pulling them out a minute early is better than a minute late.
  • If your guava paste is thick like cement, microwave it for ten seconds with a splash of water until it's spreadable—cold paste will tear your dough when you try to fill it.
03 -
  • Soften your guava paste ahead of time by leaving it on the counter or giving it a quick microwave pulse—it makes filling so much easier and you won't tear the cookies.
  • Don't skip the cooling time on the baking sheet; those five minutes let the cookies set just enough to move without breaking apart, and it's the difference between cookies that stay whole and ones that fall apart when you pick them up.
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