Day Nine: Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints Recipe

The Day 9 recipe of the PammiCakes 12 Days of Christmas Indulgences is for Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints!  These cookies are buttery and delicious.  Shortbreads are a butter based cookie that, to me, just sings the holidays!  These cookies are easy to make with short list of ingredients, but don’t let that fool you.  This simple combination of ingredients allows the different flavors to all shine through.      

 

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints Recipe

Recipe adapted from Land O Lakes
Makes approximately 42 cookies

Cookies:

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon water
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

In a mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the softened butter, sugar and almond extract.  Beat at medium speed for about 2-3 minutes, scraping bowl often, until creamy.  Next, add flour and beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.   Now, cover the dough and refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm.

Heat oven to 350°F.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place cookies 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.   Make indentation in center of each cookie with thumb (edges may crack slightly).  Fill each indentation with about 1/4 teaspoon jam.

Bake 14-16 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Let stand 1 minute on cookie sheets, then remove to cooling rack.  Cool completely.

Combine all glaze ingredients in small bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

Tips:

1)      You can use any of your favorite jam flavors. 
2)      To drizzle the glaze over the cookies, I used a sandwich baggie.  I spooned all of the frosting into the bag, cut a small part of one of the corners off the bag and squeeze the glaze over the cookies.
3)      These cookies would also be good with melted white chocolate drizzled over top instead of the glaze.