I love the raspberry almond combination, but this recipe is very versatile – you can mix and match any flavors you’d like using the same method!
HOW TO MAKE THUMBPRINT COOKIES:
This is a very quick recipe to make, with minimal equipment required and easy to follow steps!
- First, you will be making the shortbread dough by mixing the butter, sugar, and flour, and almond extract.
- Next, you need to make the individual cookies: divide up the dough into small balls and make a small well in the center of each ball. Then fill these with raspberry jam.
Finally, after refrigerating the cookies, you will be baking them in the oven and decorating with icing once cooled!
TIPS
1. Get your dough right: make sure your shortbread dough isn’t too sticky or crumbly. If it’s too sticky then add more flour one tbsp at a time. If it is cracking as you press the cookies, add more butter 10g at a time, and knead the dough well.
2. Don’t skip the refrigeration step! This will prevent the cookies from spreading too thin in the oven and will help them hold shape. If you find your cookies are spreading too much, next time add a little more flour to the dough, make sure you use cold butter, and refrigerate for half an hour.
3. When decorating with icing, roll down the sides of the piping bag before filling to stop the icing from sticking to the sides. Then start by cutting just the very tip of the piping bag and practice icing on a plate to check the pressure and consistency of the icing.
FREEZE THUMBPRINTS
Unfortunately, these cookies cannot be frozen after baking, however, you can freeze the shortbread cookies after making your thumbprints but before adding the jam!
If so make sure you take the dough out of the freezer for 30 minutes and add the jam before baking.
These biscuits are best eaten fresh and will last 3-4 days after baking with storage in an airtight container.
Thumbprint Cookies { Raspberry Almond Shortbread }
These bitesize raspberry almond shortbreads are buttery, fruity and so delicious. Perfect for an afternoon snack with a cup of tea!
Ingredients
Raspberry Almond Shortbread-
- 150g plain flour
- 100g unsalted butter
- 50g granulated sugar
- ½ tsp almond extract
- Seedless raspberry jam
Icing
- 60g icing sugar
- 3-5 tsp water
Instructions
- Cream the butter, sugar, and almond extract until fully combined using an electric beater.
- Mix in the flour until it forms a soft dough, it should not be too sticky. If you do not have an electric beater, you can do this by hand! Just rub the butter, sugar, and flour together until a crumbly mix has formed and kneaded well.
- Divide the dough into 20 small balls (15g each) and place these on a baking tray, making sure they are not too close together.
- Using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon, press into each ball to make a small well in the centre.
- Fill each well with half a teaspoon of raspberry jam. Stir the jam thoroughly first, to make it smooth and easy to distribute.
- Place the baking tray in the freezer for 10 minutes (or the fridge for 20 minutes) while you preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
- Bake the shortbreads for 15 – 20 minutes until they have lightly browned and are golden in colour.
- Leave them to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes while you make the icing.
- Mix the icing sugar with 3 tsp of water, until a smooth white icing has formed. Keep adding more water if necessary until the desired consistency is achieved for piping.
- Pour the icing into a piping bag and cut a small hole at the tip, pipe the icing in zig-zag lines across the biscuits. Now your raspberry almond shortbreads are complete and ready to enjoy!
