Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

Light, buttery, delicate almond flavored shortbread cookies were my choice for a luncheon dessert this weekend. Just the right amount of sweetness, filled with homemade jams and then lightly drizzled with icing. These cookies were a hit with everyone who tried them. Don't be fooled by their unassuming appearance. These cookies will surprise you by just melting in your mouth.


Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
Yield: 40 small cookies

Cookies: 
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups  flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
Approximately 1/2 cup any flavor jam, I used my own homemade peach jam and this homemade strawberry jam

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter, sugar, flour and almond extract. Chill the dough for 1 hour in the refrigerator. Roll the dough into 1" balls or use a 1" scoop to place them onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.

Press down on the top of each cookie and use your thumb to create a small indent. After all the indents are made, fill the indents with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam.

Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from the oven before the cookies are browned. Let cool on the trays for 1-2 minutes and then remove to a wire cooling rack.  

To make the glaze, add the almond extract to the powdered sugar and then slowly add the milk to this mixture. Stir constantly and stop adding milk when you reach the consistency of icing. It should drizzle off the tip of a spoon in a thin white stream. Not watery, but not thick either.

When the cookies are completely cooled, drizzle the icing over the tops.

These cookies freeze beautifully. When the icing has hardened, layer them into containers with wax paper between the layers. They will keep in the freezer for at least a month. They would probably keep much longer than that, but I wouldn't know. Mine never last that long.