Description
Raspberry almond shortbread thumbprint cookies combine buttery, crumbly shortbread with sweet raspberry jam. Delicate cookie edges are filled with bright red jam, creating a perfect balance of flavors for holiday baking or afternoon tea.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (130 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup (100 g) raspberry jam
- ½ tsp almond extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 12 tbsps (180 ml) milk
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) and line baking trays with parchment paper, creating a non-stick surface for cookie development.
- Dough Creation: Blend softened butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Integrate almond extract, then gently fold in flour and salt, forming a tender, cohesive dough. Shape into uniform 1-inch spheres, placing them strategically on prepared baking sheets with ample spacing.
- Thumbprint Formation: Craft delicate wells in each cookie’s center using your thumb or a small spoon’s curved edge. Carefully deposit a precise amount of raspberry jam into each indentation, ensuring an elegant and even distribution.
- Baking Process: Transfer trays to the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. Monitor for soft golden edges indicating perfect doneness. Allow cookies to rest briefly on baking sheets before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Glaze Finishing: Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract to create a silky glaze. Adjust liquid consistency for smooth drizzling. Once cookies are completely cooled, embellish with an artistic glaze application using a spoon or piping bag. Let the glaze set fully before serving these delectable treats.
Notes
- Manage Butter Temperature: Ensure butter is softened but not melted, creating the perfect creamy texture for tender, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies.
- Perfect Thumb Indentation: Press gently when creating cookie wells to avoid cracking the delicate dough, using the back of a teaspoon for uniform and clean indentations.
- Control Jam Filling: Use high-quality, seedless raspberry jam for a smooth finish and prevent overflow during baking by adding a conservative amount to each cookie center.
- Glaze Consistency Hack: Start with minimal liquid when preparing the almond glaze, gradually adding milk to achieve a drizzle-friendly consistency that doesn’t become too runny or thick.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 23
- Calories: 152
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 45 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1.6 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg