Thumbprint Shortbread Cookies Food

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).

PERFECT THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix butter and powdered sugar together with a rubber spatula until creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and egg yolk. Mix with the spatula. Add flour and blend until just combined.
• Use a sorbet scoop to portion dough into 1/2-ounce (1-tablespoon) balls. Roll balls in a plate of white sugar to coat; roll again between your palms. Place several inches apart on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Flatten balls lightly with your fingers.
• To make shortbread cookies with a little jam, poke a well into each cookie using the end of a thick wooden spoon dusted with powdered sugar or using one of your fingers. Fill cookies with fruit jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops are barely blonde and bottoms are slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before icing.
• Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar with a little milk until you have a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. Pipe icing on top of cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
• For a more jam-forward cookie, press your thumb into the cookies to make large, shallow indentations. Spoon in jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter.
• Bake until not quite golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let rest on pan for 5 minutes before transferring a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

LES MADELEINES THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Lightly toast then cool nuts; chop until very fine and set aside ~ If using a food processor for chopping, allow nuts to cool very thoroughly before chopping them in order to avoid turning them into a paste.
• Cream butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment until extra light-colored and fluffy; stir in vanilla.
• Whisk together dry ingredients; add gradually to butter mixture, stirring just until (do not overmix) dough comes together; stir in chopped nuts.
• Chill dough if it seems too soft.
• Form dough into 1 1/4" balls and place onto parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheets; indent the top of each ball of dough with your fingertip or with the dampened end of a wooden spoon.
• Bake at 325° for 10-12 minutes or just until the cookies start to turn light golden-brown at the edges; remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar; fill each indentation with a bit of jam or fruit preserves ~ I like to use red raspberry preserves.
• NOTES: Yield becomes 60 cookies when dough is formed into 1" dough balls. And any type of toasted and chopped nuts may be substituted for the almonds.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Beat margarine and sugar together until fluffy; add vanilla and egg and beat well.
• Stir in flour and baking powder.
• Roll into balls and press thumb into the middle of the cookie, fill with half a tsp or so of jelly.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.