Blackberry Sage Thumbprints are a unique and delicious cookie recipe. You’ve gotta try these!
About Blackberry Sage Thumbprints
I first baked these cookies back in 2008. The recipe had first appeared in a Better Homes and Garden’s magazine, and so of course it sounded interesting to me and I had to try them! I’m so glad I did. They’ve been a delicious cookie recipe to have around over the years. I know it sounds weird that they have sage in them, but don’t worry about that at all! You barely taste it, but it does leave you thinking… “what is that flavor I can detect but can’t figure out?”
Blackberry Sage Thumbprints have a delicious, grainy texture and a distinct flavor of lemon too. The puddle of blackberry jam baked into the middle brings it all together. They make a great holiday cookie since they’re a little different than your average cookie.
How to make Blackberry Sage Thumbprints:
The dry ingredients in the recipe are a mix of flour, fine cornmeal, sage and baking powder. Butter, brown sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla make up the wet ingredients. The two are combined and then you can use a spoon to form small cookie dough balls. At this point, the balls are placed onto a cookie sheet and you can use your thumb or a small spoon to make a thumbprint-size indentation in each cookie dough ball. A little bit of blackberry jam is spooned into the center, and then they’re baked.
The recipe makes between 4 and 5 dozen cookies. It all depends how large you make the cookie dough balls.
Notes and tips about the Sage:
It’s a little crazy that SAGE is included in a sweet cookie recipe, right? It’s such a neat combination, so please don’t leave it out. Trust the recipe!
If you use regular sage, you’ll need 1 1/2 teaspoons, and you’ll crush and crumble it so it’s not in one big lump. You can also use fresh sage. Use 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh sage to substitute for the dried. Ground sage can also be used, and you would use 3/4 teaspoon of that.
To store these blackberry sage thumbprints, just keep them in a covered container with layers separated by waxed paper. The jam is baked into the cookie, so that means it won’t be gooey and stick to the other cookies. They freeze well too in a well-sealed container.
Let me know if you try them– enjoy!
Here are a few more recipes featuring blackberries:
- Whole Grain Blackberry Spice Muffins
- Blackberry Lemon Pudding Cake
- Homemade Blackberry Syrup
- Blackberry Frozen Yogurt
- Blackberry Freezer Jam
- Roasted Pork with Blackberry Sauce
- Blackberry Oatmeal Bars
- Blackberry Jam Shortbread Bars
Blackberry Sage Thumbprints
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup fine grain cornmeal
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup seedless blackberry jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sage and baking powder; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar and beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat until a dough forms.
- Shape the dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place the balls 1-inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly press the tip of your thumb into the center of each ball (or use round part of measuring spoon). Fill the centers with about 1/2 teaspoon of the blackberry preserves. Bake 13 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on a cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely.
Notes
- If you want to use fresh sage, substitute 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh sage for the dried.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do these freeze well?
yes, they should!
Have made these these the last couple years and love them. Thinking of whizzing some fresh picked sage into my sugar this year and see what happens to the flavor.
This is a delicious cookie. You can’t taste the sage to much which is good it’s just a hint. All three flavours go lovely together. I made the mistake of using normal polenta as the shops were out of fine cornmeal so it’s a bit crunchy haha but still tasty. Do you think it would work with cornflour instead of cornmeal?
Possibly, I’m not sure! Glad you enjoyed these 🙂
Hmmm… sounds VERY interesting! Do you think I could sub rosemary for the sage? We grow blackberries and rosemary, but not sage. I think I’ll try it!
I agree with koby, cookie tastes lemony…no sage taste. I used 3/4 tsp ground sage. i used a small melon baller to make “thumbprint” and demitasse spoon for jam filling. These cookies are quite sweet. The kitchen smells great from baking blackberry jam. Mmmm. Texture is crispy crumbly.
Lori,
Your recipe calls for 1 1/2 tsp dried sage, crushed. I have commercial ground sage and am wondering how much to use in place of dried sage. Any thoughts?
Thnx,
Allie
3/4 teaspoon of ground would be the appropriate sub for 1 tsp. of dried… so guess I’d use just shy of 1 teaspoon.
These were very good! I couldn’t find seedless blackberry preserves so I used seeded, it turned out fine. However, I could hardly taste the sage–the cookie base tasted like a lemon cookie. Perhaps more sage and less lemon zest? Enjoy!