This recipe is from one of my dear friends, Kathi Baty. During the holidays she makes so many delicious cookies it is hard to decide what to eat first but these thumbprint cookies are my favorite!

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies– makes 46 cookies

Cookie Dough
2/3 cup granulated Sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer for 3 to 4 minutes. Add almond extract. Add flour gradually. Mix until combined. Scrape sides of bowl and mix briefly again to make sure everything is incorporated. Scoop dough using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop. Roll dough around in your palms to make balls.

Place balls of dough on two parchment paper lined rimmed baking sheets. Using your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon, make indentations in the cookies large enough to hold 1/4 teaspoon of raspberry preserves. Fill indentation with preserves. Bake 350ºF for 14 to 16 minutes. Cool completely then glaze cookies. Note: there is no baking powder or salt in this recipe yet it turns out perfect every time!

Almond Glaze
1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons water

Combine glaze ingredients. Drizzle glaze on cooled cookies. Enjoy!

Published in The News and Neighbor on December 30, 2015