Raspberry Pecan Thumbprints Food

RASPBERRY THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Beat butter, vegetable shortening, and brown sugar together in a bowl until smooth and creamy; beat in egg yolks and vanilla extract. Retain egg whites for a later step. Stir flour into butter mixture 1 cup at a time; mix in salt.
• Beat egg whites in a separate bowl; transfer pecans to a shallow bowl. Pinch off and roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip each in beaten egg white, and roll in pecans. Place cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. Use your thumb to form an indention into the top of each cookie and spoon a small amount of raspberry jam into the hollow.
• Bake cookies in the preheated oven until very lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.

RASPBERRY PISTACHIO THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Add pistachios; mix well., Shape dough into 1-in. balls. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in center of each with your thumb; fill each with 1/2 teaspoon jam., Bake until bottoms are light brown, 13-16 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. If desired, dust with additional confectioners' sugar.

PECAN PIE THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• To make dough, combine butter and cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Mix in sugars and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes more. Blend in vanilla extract. With mixer on low speed, mix in pecans, salt and flour just until fully incorporated. Cover bowl and transfer to refrigerator. Chill dough for about 30-60 minutes.
• While dough is chilling, make filling. In medium bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, corn syrup, egg yolk, vanilla and salt. Whisk just until blended. Stir in pecans.
• Preheat oven to 350?F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Scooping about 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll dough into balls. Place dough balls on baking sheets 2-3 inches apart. Use your thumb (or wine cork) to make a small round indentation in the center of each dough ball, about 1 inch in diameter. Fill each indentation with some of pecan filling mixture.
• Bake cookies, rotating pans halfway through, until light golden and set, about 16-18 minutes total. Cool briefly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire rack set over wax paper or foil. Let cool completely.
• To make caramel drizzle, combine the caramels and heavy cream in small microwave safe bowl. Heat in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until caramels are fully melted and mixture is smooth. If needed, add more cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, mixture reaches drizzling consistency. Drizzle caramel over cooled cookies on wire rack. If caramel begins to harden, microwave for 10 more seconds and stir to rewarm.

RASPBERRY PECAN THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl.
• Beat butter in a large bowl until smooth.
• Gradually beat in brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
• Beat in vanilla until blended.
• Beat in flour mixture until just blended.
• Form dough into 1 inch balls.
• (At this point, I dip the top of the cookies into the chopped pecans because it is hard to get them to stick when you just sprinkle them on.).
• Flatten slightly and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Press down with thumb in center of each ball to form a indentation.
• Pinch together any cracks in dough.
• Fill each indentation with generous 1/4 tsp of jam. Sprinkle filled cookies with remaining 1/2 cup of pecans.
• Bake 14 minutes or until just set.
• Let cookies stand on sheets for 5 minutes and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Cookies are best the day after baking.

RASPBERRY THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle., In a shallow bowl, whisk egg white until foamy. Place nuts in another shallow bowl. Shape dough into 3/4-in. balls. Dip in egg white, then roll in nuts., Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until set. , Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Spoon jam into each cookie. Store in an airtight container.

DOUBLE PECAN THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until slightly darkened in color and fragrant, 6-8 minutes. Let cool; set 1 1/4 cups pecans aside for making the dough.
• Pulse granulated sugar and remaining 3/4 cup pecans in a food processor until nuts are very finely ground (be careful to stop before they become a paste), 30-60 seconds. Add egg white and pulse just to blend, then add butter, espresso powder, salt, and almond extract. Pulse just until mixture is smooth and combined. Scrape frangipane into a small bowl and chill at least 30 minutes before using.
• Pulse flour, salt, baking powder, and 1 cup reserved pecans in clean food processor until nuts are very finely ground, about 1 minute.
• Beat butter, granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add egg yolk and vanilla and beat until combined and no streaks remain. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients. Beat just until incorporated, about 1 minute. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill dough until it's firm enough that you can scoop it and it will hold its shape, 30-45 minutes.
• Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F. Place 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Working in batches, scoop out tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into balls between your hands, then roll in powdered sugar, knocking off any excess. Transfer to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets as you work, spacing 2" apart.
• Bake cookies until puffed but edges are still soft, 6-8 minutes. Carefully remove from oven and make an indent in the center of each cookie with the handle end of a wooden spoon or a similar heatproof object. Spoon a heaping 1/2-teaspoonful of frangipane into each and top with a pecan half from remaining reserved 1/4 cup. Return cookies to oven and continue to bake until edges are set and very lightly browned, 6-8 minutes longer. Let cool on baking sheets.
• Just before serving, dust cookies with more powdered sugar if desired.
• Do Ahead
• Frangipane can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled. You will have more than you need, but try slathering leftovers on toasted brioche and baking until lightly browned (sort of like an almond croissant). We guarantee you won't be upset about it. Cookies can be baked 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.