Almond Thumbprints Food

RASPBERRY ALMOND SHORTBREAD THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl whisk together the flour and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon almond extract. Beat at medium speed until the butter mixture is creamy and light. Scrape down the sides of mixing bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture. Mix until well blended. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared pan. Keep remaining cookie dough refrigerated until needed. Make an indentation straight down into the center of each cookie (about half way to the bottom) with your smallest finger. Fill each with a well rounded ¼ teaspoon jam.
• Bake for 11 to 15 minutes or until edges are just lightly browned. Let the cookies stand 1 minute before removing to a cooling rack. Cool completely.
• Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cookies and allow them to set.

RASPBERRY AND ALMOND SHORTBREAD THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.
• Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 3/4 teaspoon almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies.

RASPBERRY-ALMOND THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and extract until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add flour and mix well. Chill for 1 hour., Preheat oven to 350°. Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each; fill each with 1/4 teaspoon jam. Bake until the edges are lightly browned, 13-16 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., For glaze, in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, extract and water. Drizzle over cookies.

ALMOND AND APRICOT THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat almond butter and butter on medium until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat just until combined (dough will be slightly crumbly).
• Place granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll level tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and gently roll in sugar to coat. Place on two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are puffed, 8 minutes. Remove sheets from oven and, with the bottom of a round 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in center of each cookie. Bake until set, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks, 20 minutes. Stir jam and spoon 1/2 teaspoon into each indentation.

RASPBERRY ALMOND SHORTBREAD THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F
• In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, and almond extract.
• Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (1 to 2 minutes).
• Reduce speed to low; add flour.
• Continue beating until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes).
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
• With thumb, make indentation in center of each cookie (edges may crack slightly).
• Fill each indentation with about ¼ t. jam.
• Bake for 14 to 18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
• Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet.
• Glaze:.
• In small bowl stir together powdered sugar and 1½ t. almond extract.
• Gradually stir in enough water for a thin glaze.
• Drizzle over cooled cookies.
• TIP: If cookies are spreading too much, chill dough 1 hour or stir in 1 to 2 T. flour.

ALMOND THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• For cookies:.
• Cream butter and sugar.
• Beat in the flour, extract and salt.
• Stir in the pecans.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Make thumbprint in each cookie.
• Bake at 300°F for 20-30 minutes.
• Let cool.
• For Icing:.
• Mix all Icing ingredients and thin with a little milk if needed , to make a smooth icing . You may add a drop or two of food color to tint the icing . Fill cooled cookies with icing.

ALMOND THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Pulse almonds, sugar, matzo cake meal, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. (Be careful not to grind to a paste.) Transfer to a bowl and stir in butter, egg, and extracts until combined well. Chill dough, covered, until firm, about 30 minutes.
• While dough chills, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Drop level tablespoons of dough 1 inch apart onto 2 ungreased baking sheets. Roll dough into balls, then chill until slightly firm, about 10 minutes. Make a 1/2-inch-wide (1/3-inch-deep) indentation in center of each ball using your thumb, index finger, or the rounded end of a wooden spoon. Fill each indentation with 1/4 teaspoon jam and bake, 1 sheet at a time, until tops are pale golden and undersides are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack and cool completely.

CHEWY ALMOND AND CHERRY THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the almond flour on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring halfway through, until golden brown and toasted, 10 to 15 minutes. Immediately add it to a medium bowl to cool for 5 minutes. Line the baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and set aside.
• Add the coconut sugar, honey, limoncello, lemon zest, salt and egg to the toasted flour. Using a rubber spatula, stir until well combined and evenly moistened. Scoop heaping 1-tablespoon scoops of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between each. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand, then make a small indent in the center of each cookie using your thumb. Fill each indent with 1/2 teaspoon cherry jam. Bake until golden brown and just set, 15 to 17 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE-ALMOND THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture, one-third at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
• Place chopped almonds in a small bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few times until dough is smooth and comes together. Scoop a level tablespoon of dough, and roll it into a ball. Roll ball in chopped almonds. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
• Use back of a teaspoon to make a deep indentation in center of each dough ball.
• Place 1 baking sheet of cookies in refrigerator until ready to bake. Bake remaining baking sheet in preheated oven 8 minutes. Remove from oven, and use teaspoon to redo indentation in center of each ball. Return to oven, and bake until set and lightly golden on bottom, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet; transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat procedure with remaining baking sheet of cookies.
• Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan over low until just beginning to bubble around edges, about 2 to 3 minutes. (Do not let cream boil, or it will be too hot for chocolate.) Pour hot cream over chocolate, and let stand 1 minute; whisk until smooth. Refrigerate chocolate mixture, stirring often so mixture cools evenly, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Beat chocolate mixture with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Transfer ganache to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe ganache in indentation in center of each cookie. Top each with a cherry. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve.

ALMOND CARAMEL THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 baking sheets.
• Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer equipped with the paddle attachment-the one that looks like the peace sign-and beat until creamy and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks and almond extract and beat for another minute or so, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• In another large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chopped almonds.
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture. When combined, the dough should be soft and homogeneous. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm.
• When you're ready to bake, take the dough out of the fridge and roll it into 3/4-inch balls. Place the balls about 1 inch apart on a prepared baking sheet. Using the tip of your thumb, make a hole as deep as you can in each doughball without actually poking through the bottom. Roll your thumb around a little bit to widen the hole-this is your thumbprint!
• Bake the cookies for 16 to 18 minutes or until they begin to turn golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool. While the cookies are cooling, repoke each one with your thumb to create a really nice spot for the caramel. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• For the caramel: In a medium saute pan, combine the sugar, lemon juice, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water. Bring the pan to medium-high heat. Be careful not to swish the pan around as that can cause the sugar to recrystallize. As the mixture boils, the water will evaporate and the sugar will begin to turn brown, or "caramelize." This is the point when you DO NOT want to take your eyes off it! Things can take a turn for the worse here and there will be no recovery. As the sugar begins to turn gold and move toward golden brown, remove it from the heat and add the heavy cream. As you do this it will bubble up like crazy. Be sure to use a pan large enough to accommodate the bubbling-this stuff is molten and can cause a very severe burn. Whisk the cream until things settle down and the bubbles subside, then add the butter 2 pats at a time, making sure each addition is thoroughly incorporated before adding more.
• Let the caramel cool slightly, then spoon it into the hole of each cookie and let cool. You'll most likely have leftover caramel sauce, so save it for something yummy-like pouring over vanilla ice cream!