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    Home » Cookies

    Apricot Cream Cheese Cookies - Revised

    Published: Feb 11, 2022 · Modified: Aug 12, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These cookies are excellent, with just enough tartness from the lemon zest and juice plus the apricot jam to compliment the sweetness of the confectioner sugar on top.

    Close up of a finished apricot preserved filled cookie.

    Besides apricot preserves, I also love red raspberry jam or preserves for thumbprint cookies. I have an eggless cream cheese cookie you might like to try if you have egg allergies in your household. You can find the recipe here at Raspberry Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies.

    Ingredient For Cookies

    Image of the ingredients for making Apricot cream cheese cookies.
    Jump to Recipe for Amounts
    • Unsalted butter
    • Granulated sugar
    • Egg
    • Cream Cheese 
    • Lemon juice
    • Lemon zest
    • All-purpose flour
    • Baking powder
    • Apricot preserves
    • Confectioners sugar Enough to sprinkle on top

    Prepping and Mixing

    Lemon juice or zest just brightens up the taste of almost any cookie. For this cookie, we are using both juice and zest. Zest one lemon and only go over the same spot once or twice. If you go deeper into the underlying layer of white, you will give a bitter taste to your cookies. Then cut the lemon in half and juice.

    Equipment for juicing and zesting a lemon.

    Weigh or measure the sugar and add it to the mixer bowl along with the butter and the cream cheese. Mix on medium speed for a good 3 minutes.

    Next, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, egg, and blend. Weigh or measure the flour into a bowl. Add the baking powder, and whisk together. I scrape down the sides and across the bottom.

    Gradually add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl and mix till all the flour is incorporated. Cover and put into the refrigerator for an hour.

    Cream Cheese cookie dough mixed and in bowl that will be covered and refrigerated.

    Create Thump Print Cookies

    You can use a teaspoon or a small cookie scooper to have enough cookie dough to make a ball. A good size is about 1-½ to 2 inches in circumference, and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet pan.

    Take your thumb and go straight down from the top of the ball. Only go about ¾ of the way down; you don't want to hit bottom, or the apricot preserves will leak out.

    Cookie dough balls and cookie dough balls with thumb pushed down in to create a well for preserves.

    Next, take a teaspoon and fill the wells with the apricot preserves.

    Cookies filled with apricot preserves and ready for the oven.

    Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes. I check them by touching the cookie, and it should be slightly firm. The bottoms should be golden brown.

    Move them to a cooling rack to cool. When the cookies have completely cooled, you can sprinkle confectioners sugar on the tops of the cookies.

    Two apricot preserves filled cookies cooling on a wire rack.

    The great thing about these cookies is that you can add whatever jam or preserves you have on hand. I have done these cookies with blackberry and strawberry preserves which I also love. But you can't beat the taste of apricot preserves.

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    Close up of a finished apricot preserved filled cookie.

    Apricot Cream Cheese Cookies

    Barbara Hall
    These cookies are excellent, with just enough tartness from the lemon zest and juice plus the apricot preserves to compliment the sweetness of the confectioner sugar on top.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Total Bake Time 39 mins
    Chill 1 hr
    Total Time 1 hr 59 mins
    Course Cookies
    Cuisine American
    Servings 32 cookies
    Calories 93 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • ½ cup (113.5 g) Unsalted butter room temperature
    • ¾ cups (150 g) Granulated sugar
    • 4 oz. (4 oz.) Cream Cheese room temperature
    • 1 (1 ) Egg
    • 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Lemon zest
    • 2 ½ cups (300 g) All-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Baking powder
    • ½ jar (½ jar) Apricot preserves
    • Confectioners sugar Enough to sprinkle on top

    Instructions
     

    • In a large bowl, add flour and baking powder (either measured or weighed) whisk through to blend. Set the bowl aside.
    • Add butter, granulated sugar, and cream cheese into a mixer bowl and blend until all is incorporated. I mix for 3 minutes on medium speed. Beat in egg, then add in lemon juice and lemon zest.
    • Slowly add your flour mixture and blend till just incorporated. Cover and put into the refrigerator for at least an hour.
    • Line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Roll a teaspoon of dough to make a ball about 1-½ to 2 inches in circumference. Using your thumb, go about ¾ of the way through the ball. Fill the hole with apricot preserves.
    • Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes. I touch the top of the cookie, and if it seems slightly firm, I pull them out of the oven. They should have a light golden brown bottom. Move to a cooling rack to cool. When cooled, sprinkle with confectioner sugar.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 93kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 27mgPotassium: 19mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 144IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword apricot cream cheese cookies, cream cheese cookies, jam thumbprints, thumbprint cookies
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alice

      November 28, 2022 at 11:27 pm

      Look great, I am going to make them. I lost my bourbon ball receipe, do you by chance have the receipe??? I sure would appreciate it.🙏

      Reply
      • Barbara

        November 29, 2022 at 9:24 am

        Hi Alice, I have not made that cookie yet, but what a great idea! It will be on my list.

        Reply

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    Hi! My name is Barbara. I am a retired IT professional who wants my next career to be fun. What better way than by sharing cookie recipes that I make in my kitchen, taking photos, and showing you the results. My goal is to provide cookie recipes you can make at home that look great and taste fantastic!

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