Torticas de Guayaba Thumbprint (Printable)

Buttery thumbprint cookies filled with tangy guava jam, featuring a vanilla or chocolate base for a tropical twist.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 (replace 2 tablespoons flour)

→ 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 butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
03 - Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until well combined.
04 - Gradually mix in the flour and salt until a soft dough forms. For chocolate base, replace 2 tablespoons flour with cocoa powder.
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 about 1/2 teaspoon of guava jam or softened guava paste.
08 - Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are just golden.
09 - Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • The dough comes together in minutes and bakes into cookies that manage to be both meltingly tender and structurally perfect for holding generous pools of jam
  • That tropical guava flavor against the buttery vanilla base creates a taste combination that makes people pause and ask what exactly theyre eating
  • You can easily switch up the filling or make half the batch chocolate and nobody will complain about having options
02 -
  • Indentations often bake shallow so I press deeper than seems necessary before filling to ensure the jam stays in place
  • Room temperature ingredients are not optional here because cold butter creates dough that cracks and refuses to hold its shape
  • Guava paste can be stubborn to work with so warm it slightly with a splash of water until it reaches a spoonable consistency
03 -
  • Chill the formed dough for 15 minutes before baking if your kitchen is warm, which prevents spreading too thin
  • Warm your guava paste in short 10 second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each one
  • The cookies are done when the bottoms are lightly golden even if the tops look pale
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