Melt-in-your-mouth vanilla almond shortbread cookies rolled in turbinado sugar and filled with an orange-infused raspberry jam. These Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies are fun to make and even more fun to eat!
Baking cookies is an integral part of the holiday season, don’t you think? Cookies for Santa, cookie swap parties, cookie boxes for neighbors and friends; the list of reasons to bake cookies during the holidays goes on and on. I, personally, reach for cookie recipes no matter what season it is, simply because I love to bake cookies. Like most human beings, I too have swooned, drooled, and marveled over the chewy, sometimes gooey, flavorful bliss of a cookie fresh from the oven, but in all honesty, it’s the simple, familiar, and comforting process of baking cookies that really does it for me. Baking cookies, no matter what time of year, is comfort in its purest form.
Whether you become a cookie aficionado during the month of December or you love to bake cookies all year long, these raspberry almond thumbprint cookies ought to be at the top of your baking to-do list. The cookie itself is a vanilla-almond shortbread that’s buttery, perfectly sweet, and has a melt-in-your-mouth texture thanks to the use of cake flour and egg yolks. Because I love the flavor combination of almond and raspberry, I chose to fill these little guys with orange-infused raspberry jam, but feel free to get creative and fill these with whatever jam you like! Apricot, fig, or strawberry would be fabulous choices.
What I love most about these raspberry almond thumbprint cookies, is the process of making these cookies. This recipe involves a series of steps that are more “hands on,” which makes it a great recipe for baking with others. Making these cookies can easily become a fun project shared with family, friends, or even little ones, which is a subject I’m particularly passionate about. Baking with children is a great way to spend time together, create memories, and teach things like creativity and patience. Sure, things can get a little messy and your cookies may not look perfect, but in my experience, the benefits of time well spent together is far more important than messy countertops and less-than-perfect cookies.
My little boy helped me make these raspberry almond thumbprint cookies, and we had the best time together. He helped me by rolling the dough into balls, coating them in the turbinado sugar, and using the end of a wooden spoon to create little wells to hold the raspberry jam. My best advice for baking with children? Focus on the memory and not the end-product. Aim for time well spent, not perfection. And when it’s all said and done, enjoy a cookie (or two) with each other and then share some with a friend.
Merry Christmas and happy cookie season! I hope these delicious little Raspberry Almond Thumbprints find their way into your holiday cookie swaps, cookie jars, or cookie boxes real soon; you can bet they’ll be in mine!
What you’ll need to bake these thumbprint cookies:
Butter: A high ratio of butter is what gives these shortbread cookies their flavor, moisture, and buttery texture.
Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness and makes the cookies tender. Whipping the butter and sugar together at the beginning of the recipe is what gives these cookies a little lift- so be sure not to skip that step!
Egg yolks: Using egg yolks in these cookies adds richness and moisture.
Vanilla + almond extracts: For added flavor.
Kosher salt: For balance.
Cake flour: I use cake flour in these cookies to ensure that soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Turbinado sugar: Rolling the dough in turbinado sugar not only makes these thumbprint cookies pretty, but it adds extra sweetness and texture. I love the contrast of the soft cookie with the slightly crunchy turbinado!
Raspberry jam and orange zest for the raspberry filling.
Powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and milk for the almond glaze.
FAQs:
Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour? I don’t recommend using all-purpose flour in these cookies, as the texture will change. Cake flour is what gives these cookies a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture!
Can I use a different flavor jam? Yes, feel free to switch up your jam! Apricot, strawberry, or fig would be delicious alternatives.
A few notes before you bake:
When it comes to thumbprint cookies, keep things cold! Chilling the dough for at least 3 hours is key to making great thumbprint cookies. Letting the dough to rest in the fridge allows the gluten strands to relax a bit, which creates a more tender cookie. Keeping the dough chilled also helps the cookies hold their shape in the hot oven. If you’re baking in batches, I recommend keeping whatever dough you’re not working with wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge.
If glaze isn’t your thing, try dusting these with powdered sugar instead!
These cookies are a great recipe to make with little ones! Let them help by rolling the dough into balls, coating the dough in turbinado sugar, or making the wells in each cookie that holds the raspberry jam. Your cookies may not look perfect, but you’ll certainly make a memory!
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Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 3-hour chill time)
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 23 minutes
- Yield: 40 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert, Snack
Description
Melt-in-your-mouth vanilla almond shortbread cookies rolled in turbinado sugar and filled with an orange-infused raspberry jam. These Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies are fun to make and even more fun to eat!
Ingredients
For the thumbprint cookies:
- 226 gm (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 150 gm (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 270 gm (2 1/4 cups, spoon and leveled) cake flour
- Turbinado sugar, for rolling
For the raspberry filling:
- 107 gm (1/3 cup) raspberry jam*
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
For the almond glaze:
- 150 gm (1 1/4 cups) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
To make the thumbprint cookies:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until very light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through and again at the end. Add the egg yolks, vanilla and almond extracts, and kosher salt and mix on medium speed until fully combined, about 30 seconds more.
- Sift the cake flour directly into the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until the dough comes together, being careful not to overmix. If there’s excess flour on the sides of the bowl, use a rubber spatula to scrape down and do a few gentle turns to incorporate into the dough.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours, up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the turbinado sugar in a small bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, stir together the raspberry jam and orange zest and set aside.
- Pinch off pieces of dough and roll between the palms of your hands to form 1-inch balls. Roll each dough ball in the turbinado sugar, then place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart (NOTE: if you’re baking in batches, keep dough that you’re not working with in the fridge until ready to use). Using the back of a 1/4 teaspoon or the end of a wood spoon, create a well in the center of each ball. If the dough cracks, simply pinch it back together with your fingers. Fill each well with raspberry jam, then place in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes (this helps the cookies keep their shape in the oven).
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges of the cookies are set. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the almond glaze:
- Place the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and milk in a small bowl, and whisk to combine. If necessary, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you’ve reached the desired consistency for drizzling. Drizzle over the cooled cookies and allow to set, about 30 minutes.
Notes
*Jam: I love raspberry jam for these cookies, but feel free to use any jam you like. Apricot, fig, or strawberry would also be delicious!
Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. When stacking cookies, I prefer to separate layers with wax paper to prevent cookies from sticking together.
