Raspberry Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies And A Food Blogger Cookie Swap

RASPBERRY SHORTBREAD THUMBPRINT COOKIES (AND A FOOD BLOGGER COOKIE SWAP!)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar and egg yolks. Mix in flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms.
• Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Make a "thumbprint" in the center of each cookie. Fill each hole with jam.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven or until bottoms are golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

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.

CLASSIC RASPBERRY SHORTBREAD THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk (or sift) together the flour, icing sugar, and cornstarch until well-distributed.
• Add the flour mixture along with the butter and vanilla extract into a stand mixer (or electric mixer).
• Whisk together, starting at a low speed and then gradually increasing to high speed, until the mixture forms a uniform and smooth dough ball. If necessary, scrape down the sides of the bowl as it mixes so that everything is combined.
• Form 1-inch balls using a rounded tablespoon, shaping it into a smooth ball using your hands. Then place each cookie onto the baking sheet at least 2 inches apart.
• Press each cookie down with your thumb, leaving an indentation in the center. Then fill each cookie indentation with jam, about ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of jam per cookie.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden on the bottom. Let cool slightly before eating (cookies will be soft right out of the oven, but will harden as they cool).

THUMBPRINT COOKIES {RASPBERRY ALMOND SHORTBREAD}

Steps:

• For the cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). In a mixing bowl whisk together flour and salt, set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend together butter and sugar until combined (it will take a minute or two since the butter is cold).
• Mix in almond extract then add in flour blend until mixture comes together (it will take a bit of mixing since the butter is cold, so be patient, it will seem really dry and crumbly at first).
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls, about 1 Tbsp each, and place 2-inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Make a small indentation with thumb or forefinger in each cookie (large enough to fit 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of jam). Fill each with 1/4 - 1/2 tsp jam.
• Chill in refrigerator 20 minutes (or freezer for 10 minutes). Bake in preheated oven 14 - 18 minutes.
• Cool several minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• For the glaze: Whisk all glaze ingredients together in a small mixing bowl, adding enough water to reach desired consistency.
• Pour or spoon mixture into a sandwich size resealable bag, cut a small tip from one corner and drizzle over cool cookies. Let set at room temperature then store in an airtight container.

RASPBERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.
• Beat in extract; gradually add flour until dough forms a ball.
• Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
• Roll into 1 inch balls.
• Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center.
• Fill with jam.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 14-18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
• Remove to wire racks to cool.
• Spoon additional into cookies if desired.
• Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over cookies.