This year I participated in the The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap of 2012 with these delicious Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints. The cookie swap not only gave food bloggers a chance to give and receive cookies, but it also raised money for the Cookies for Kids Cancer organization. Each food blogger paid an entry fee and agreed to send a dozen cookies to three different cookie swap matches. The whole event was organized by Julie @ The Little Kitchen and Lindsay @ Love and Olive Oil. I cannot write enough good things about this extremely organized event. Lindsay and Julie had all their cookies in a row, providing timely information, matches and even tips on how to properly pack your cookies for travel to their new home.
The rules are simple. Make a dozen cookies for each of your three matches and ship them before December 5th. The cookies need to be one that you (the blogger) has never posted before. After sending the cookies all you need to do is watch your mailbox for 3 dozen cookies to arrive on your doorstep. And last, prepare a blog post with the cookie recipe ready to go live on December 12th. How simple is that?
For my cookie I decided on a simple (or simply delicious) Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprint. I kept my fingers crossed that they would travel well, and took extra care in packaging them for shipment.
Before I shipped them off to their new homes in Texas, Washington and California, I took a few photos to remember them by 🙂
It was hard to part with them at first, but I new they would be happy with their new families and I would, in return, receive cookies of my own. A perfect match indeed!
Lindsay and Julie even provided PDF files to download so you can print stickers and mailing labels. These girls are wonderful!
Please be sure to visit their blogs, which are beautiful by the way, and enjoy their lovely recipes and photography. They are two very talented young ladies.
My cookies are all ready to go so I said my goodbyes 🙂
My food blogger matches are posting some terrific cookies and recipes so be sure to visit them at:
Here at SRFD were the happy recipients of cookies from these talented bloggers:
Thanks again to Lindsay and Julie for their dedication, vision and organization. I can’t wait to hear more about the success of this year’s Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap!
Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints ~ The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2012
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Tricia
Recipe type: Cookie
Ingredients
- For the dough:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (2 sticks)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (lightly spooned into measuring cup and leveled with the flat side of a knife)
- ½ cup seedless raspberry jam
- pinch of salt
- For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons water (more or less as needed for drizzling consistency)
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon almond extract. Beat at medium speed until the butter mixture is creamy. Scrape sides of mixing bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour and a pinch of salt. Mix until well blended. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared pan. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with your smallest finger (or thumb if you want a larger pocket). The edges of the dough may crack slightly. Fill each with a heaping ¼ teaspoon jam.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let the cookies stand 1 minute before removing to a cooling rack. Cool completely.
- Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over cookies and allow them to set.
Notes
Adapted from a Land-O-Lakes recipe
I've received a lot of complaints about this recipe either being too dry or spreading too much. Some people have had great success and others have not. If you think the dough can take it, add an additional ¼ cup (or less) of flour. If it's not coming together and is too dry, let the dough sit in a warm location for 30 minutes then try to mix again. Please read all the notes below before starting.
I used unsalted butter in my recipe. Please check the dough to make sure it is salty enough for your taste. Perhaps adding ¼ teaspoon of salt instead of a pinch would help if you feel it needs more. I always bake with unsalted butter and do not like the taste of salted. We love the Land-O-Lakes brand of butter so this recipe was tested with their unsalted product.
Makes 38-42 cookies
NOTE - after receiving a couple of comments about the cookie spreading too much, I thought I would mention a few tips -
1. Make sure you are using Land-O-Lakes butter. That is the only one I have tested these cookies with.
2. Make sure the dough is well chilled before making the dough balls.
3. Do not smash the entire dough ball flat when making the indentation. Use a small finger and push straight down into the center of the cookie. DO NOT MAKE THE INDENTION TOO DEEP. The bigger the whole, the wider the cookies will spread. Please see the photos for reference. Even though they are called thumbprints, if you use your thumb they may not spread correctly and hold the jelly in tact.
Hope this helps you have great success with these simple but delicious cookies!
I've received a lot of complaints about this recipe either being too dry or spreading too much. Some people have had great success and others have not. If you think the dough can take it, add an additional ¼ cup (or less) of flour. If it's not coming together and is too dry, let the dough sit in a warm location for 30 minutes then try to mix again. Please read all the notes below before starting.
I used unsalted butter in my recipe. Please check the dough to make sure it is salty enough for your taste. Perhaps adding ¼ teaspoon of salt instead of a pinch would help if you feel it needs more. I always bake with unsalted butter and do not like the taste of salted. We love the Land-O-Lakes brand of butter so this recipe was tested with their unsalted product.
Makes 38-42 cookies
NOTE - after receiving a couple of comments about the cookie spreading too much, I thought I would mention a few tips -
1. Make sure you are using Land-O-Lakes butter. That is the only one I have tested these cookies with.
2. Make sure the dough is well chilled before making the dough balls.
3. Do not smash the entire dough ball flat when making the indentation. Use a small finger and push straight down into the center of the cookie. DO NOT MAKE THE INDENTION TOO DEEP. The bigger the whole, the wider the cookies will spread. Please see the photos for reference. Even though they are called thumbprints, if you use your thumb they may not spread correctly and hold the jelly in tact.
Hope this helps you have great success with these simple but delicious cookies!
Don’t forget to PIN to your favorite Cookie Board!
Here are a few more of our favorite holiday cookie recipes you might enjoy:
- Almond Butter Sticks
- Chocolate Pizzelles
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Spritz Cookies
- Pinwheel Cookies
- Russian Tea Cakes
The best part of this cookie swap? We raised money for a wonderful charity, I’ve made new friends, was inspired to make some very tasty cookies and got to sample delicious cookies from all over the United States. Be sure to get on the list for the 2013 cookie swap and/or make a donation for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer at fbcookieswap. Happy baking!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Tricia
Hello there. I just tried a batch a different way this time. I followed the exact recipe but I rolled the balls out while dough soft. I then used 1/4 teaspoon to indent. After this, I put them in the refrigerator for an hour. I just took them out and put the jam in. Hope it works. They are for my son’s graduation party on Sunday so crossing my fingers. I make them all the tome at Christmas and they have flattened so I tried something new. Thanks
Just made these for second time. Turned out perfect! And not to mention so delicious! My dough also crumbled but I mixed it with my hands and that solved the problem. The first time I wasn’t so successful but this time they are up too standard:-)
Yeah! Thanks so much Milena – they seem to be troublesome but so glad they worked for you too. Thanks for letting us know and happy holidays!
Tried these tonight. Used Land O Lakes and followed the recipe exactly. Mine flattened out and aren’t nearly as pretty as yours, but they taste great! Can definitely taste the almond. I might try again and do vanilla in the icing drizzle. Not sure what to do about the flattening.
Thanks for the feedback Joyce. I wonder if the kind of jelly makes a big difference with how much they spread. I’m going to be testing these again and hope to find a solution for the problems. I’m sorry they flattened out for you, and I bet they are pretty 🙂 If you make them again, perhaps try adding up to 1/4 cup of flour. I’m also going to try adding a tablespoon or two of cornstarch and see if that helps. Thanks for giving them a try and for the feedback!
I’ve found that chilling them overnite or at least 3 hours works best. I balled up one batch at a time so the dough didn’t sit out too long during that process. I also made sure not to use my finger to make the indentation but instead used the backside of a 1/4 tsp measuring spoon and gently pressed down just enough to make a pocket to hold the jam. It was my very first time making them too and they turned out perfect! Good luck on your next attempt!
Thank you so much Renee! Glad they worked out for you. Happy holidays!
I’m about to try this recipe for a cookie exchange tomorrow but plan to weigh the flour instead so that I don’t end up with a “crumby” dough like many complained about. 9 oz is the conversion for 2 cups flour by the way. Also I will be using LOL unsalted butter as well. Fingers crossed!
I’m bet they turn out fantastic Renee! Good luck and happy holidays 🙂
They turned out absolutely perfect!!! I think the key is LOL butter at proper temp and weighing out the flour for accuracy. I took advice from another person who commented and used a 1/4tsp spoon to make the perfect size indentation in the center. Wish I could post a photo! Thanks again!
Yeah! Thank you so much Renee. Post a photo on Instagram and tag us if you want. So happy you figured it all out! Love the idea of using the back of a measuring spoon – brilliant 🙂 Have a wonderful holiday season!
These look amazing! I’m thinking of using this recipe for a cookie exchange. How did you package them to keep them pretty? Wax or parchment paper between layers? Do the jam and icing set up? Or do they remain kind of sticky?
Thank you!
Chi Jenna – I packaged the cookies with wax paper between the layers. The jam sets up but is still a little tacky. The icing should harden but not as much as royal icing. If you’re not shipping them and are just sharing locally, I think they will do great. Tight packaging to ship out of town may lead to a less pretty cookie. Everybody said they arrived fine for this cookie exchange so that’s what I’m going with! Thanks!
Thank you for the quick reply!
Thank you for giving them a try – a few people said the dough has been crumbly so be sure to use Land O Lakes butter. That’s the only brand I’ve tested with. If you use unsalted butter, be sure to add salt to the dough. Good luck!
I was so excited to make these. However, they spread out so much and the filling came out over the sides. I followed the recipe very closely. Why did this happen?
Hi Lynne – I am so sorry you had problems with this recipe. As you can see from my photos, I had a very good experience with this Land-O-Lakes recipe. I mentioned to another reader that had a similar problem, that I tested mine with Land-O-Lakes butter. I have bought off-brands of butter before, and had failed recipes that always worked before. I don’t know why this happened to your cookies, but perhaps you could refrigerate the dough a little longer and make sure it is firm before baking. I double checked my recipe against the Land-O-Lakes recipe and it seems everything is correct. I am sorry – hope you will try again.
Hi! I am wondering if anyone else had to modify the proportions of the ingredients. I followed the recipe to a T but I had to add another stick of butter to the dough for without it, it was so crummy! I tried forming it in my hands but it all fell to pieces. With another stick of butter it made an actual dough and I stuck it in the fridge for an hour at that point. For the glaze, I had to add more water, probably another tablespoon or soon. The recipe called for 2 teaspoons but this just made a glob of powdered sugar stuck to my whisk! Did anyone else run into these same issues? Thanks!
Hi Meg – I haven’t heard any complaints like this from our readers. The recipe was adapted from one on the Land-O-Lakes site so you’re welcome to refer back to the original as well (Link to original recipe – HERE) but I am very sorry you had problems with the recipe. I once had to throw away an entire batch of fudge because I used an off brand of butter. It separated and would not come together but ended up a pool of oil. I don’t know what kind you used, but I’m sure all ingredients are not created equal. Adding an extra teaspoon of water to the glaze might have made the difference there. Each area of the country is different with varying humidity levels, etc. I will update the recipe to note that an additional teaspoon of water may be needed for drizzling consistency. Again so sorry for the troubles, but thanks for trying the recipe.
I tried the reciepe and they were totally flat. I used salted butter but not
Land o lakes. A real disaster so my husband tried with same result.
Very sorry you had bad results Judy. I hope you will try again sometime with the Land-O-Lakes butter.
Just tried making them. The dough was all crumbs, not sticky at all. I added water and hopefully they turn out ok.
Hi Alex. As you can see from my photos, mine were not at all dry. I hope they turned out okay. I’m not sure if you used a different brand of butter, but I have found it makes all the difference. Good luck.
I had the exact thing happen to me. I also added a bit of water. They definitely didn’t turn out as pretty, but they still taste good! I’ll have to try again sometime.
The proportions are off for me too – not close to a dough. Any suggestions?
Hi Valerie – I’m not sure why they didn’t turn out for you. I’ve not had any trouble with these cookies. “Not close to a dough” do you mean it didn’t come together? Too dry? Too wet?
Same here Meg. Next time I will try to get the Land o Lakes brand and see if that helps.
Thanks for the feedback Janice – I’ll be working on this recipe and hopefully develop a better process for fool-proof results. Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!
How can I make this w/o any nut extcats? My daughter suffers frimm anaphalaxis to all nuts. I thought a vanilla extac would work. So any advice would be very help full.
Gina
Hi Gina – these cookies would be great with vanilla extract – no worries! Thank you for asking such a great question. There are many people that don’t care for almond extract anyway. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thanks again.
Hi, how long do they stay fresh after you make them? A week..?
Hi Danielle – If you store them in a cold location like a garage or unheated porch, they should be great for at least a week. The jam may cause them to be a little more soft but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. They are delicious and super easy too. Thanks for the great question!
These cookies look amazing — and your photography is terrific! Was wondering if you use Tailwind — because I am starting a new tribe called CHRISTMAS COOKIES and I’d love for you to participate! If you’re interested, send me an e-mail and I’ll invite you! Thanks — these cookies are going on my MUST TRY list this year!
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much – I will email you about the tribe – thank you!
I love the looks of these cookies!! Yumm I will make. Someone asked if they freeze well… I freeze my thumbprints with jam and they turn out great! I put in freezer bags with wax paper in between each layer.
Thank you!
Thanks Cindy – do you bake them before freezing or bake and then freeze? Thanks for commenting!
Could you please tell me if you use icing sugar in this recipe or white sugar. Most of my shortbread cookie recipes call for icing sugar.
Hi Ruth Anne – the sugar for the cookie dough is granulated sugar – not icing/powdered sugar. However I do agree that many shortbread recipes use icing sugar so if you decide to substitute the granulated sugar please let me know how it turns out! I’ll update my recipe to clarify – thanks for the great question.
Hi, do these cookies freeze well?
Hi Cindy – sorry to be so late in replying. I was in the mountains with no internet for 5 days. I don’t think these cookies would freeze week because of the jam. Perhaps they would be fine to freeze before filling and icing, but I have not tested it. Hope you enjoy the cookies, they are pretty terrific!
I make these and freeze them all the time. They freeze beautifully even with the jam!
Great to know – thanks for sharing! We love these cookies – just the perfect bite 🙂
Hi, I really want to make these! They sound delicious and ridiculously simple! Did you use salted or unsalted butter? I’m not much of a baker so I never know unless it is specifically stated. Thanks!
Hi! Unsalted butter would be best
I found that the 1/4 tsp. worked perfectly to make the size indention I needed. I lightly pressed it into the balls, and it was a perfect space for the jam. I used Eden Grape Butter instead — next time I’ll figure out how to add a PB component to this for a fun twist. Maybe in the icing.
I used a combination of tapioca, coconut, garbanzo bean, and buckwheat flour to make this gluten free!
Thanks for the share. Next step is to veganize!
Wow Leah – you did a great job on these! Thanks so much for the tips and suggestions. Have a great day!
I would like to know how many cookies this amount on the recipe will make. Please let me know. Thanks
This recipe makes about 38-42 cookies depending on how big or small you make them. Hope you enjoy!
Your cookies look delecies
Thanks Ann – they are easy to make too. Hope you’ll give them a try!
Hi Tricia I use to make these cookies years ago and lost the recipe so when I came across your recipe I was so excited to make these again. My dough is extremely dry and crumbly what should I do ? Not a chance that it will stay together in a ball. I’ve kept refrigerated until I get some suggestions …
Hi Kelly. I would remove the dough from the refrigerator and see if when the butter softens, the dough holds together. Was the butter at room temperature? Does it come together when you press it into a ball? I hope this helps – and so sorry the dough is dry.
You took such care with the presentation as well as the flavor, turning something simple into something special. I was never tempted to bake thumbprint cookies until I saw these. Now I can't wait to play with this recipe 🙂
I love thumbprints, Tricia. Yours drizzled with white icing looks extremely lovely.
I'm making these today with a Blackberry jam! Can't wait! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
PS…. did you use salted or unsalted butter?
Oh my, everything about these cookies sounds amazing. What a lovely choice for the cookie swap!
love raspberry. love almond. love shortbread. and they are so very, very beautiful! what a great idea of this cookie swap! i'll have to go check it out! =D
I'd want to make little peanut butter cookie sandwiches out of those!
What a fun and worthwhile event Tricia! These are some of my all time favorite cookies! I've been making them for years and they always receive rave reviews! It seems that you can't go wrong with a Land O Lakes recipe!
All I can say is wow, I really missed out on this. Your cookies will definitely be appreciated, they look like my favorite holiday cookies ever!
ah! I've been waiting for this recipe. yay! Thank you so much- they were delicious and disappeared in less than a day. 😉
Hi Tricia!! I never had thumbprint cookies and I'm so glad you introduced me to your version. They were excellent and arrived all beautifully intact. Thanks so much!!
I love thumbprint cookies! This is the one recipe that I simply have not managed to get right in a gluten free version. I've probably tried it even more times than the almond bars! I am going to try once more before Christmas though. Fingers are crossed! <br /><br />Yours are absolutely gorgeous! I would have loved to receive those. YUM!
Tricia Tricia!! These look delicious! Thumbprints are some of my favourites – yum! Things like this make me wish I was still in the US although heaven knows I do NOT need more cookies at the moment. I might try a version of these with almond flour – yum! Love love love xo
Aww thanks [email protected] Hope you are doing great – so happy you're back in the blog world! We missed you. Let me know how the almond flour version turns out – I'm always looking for a gluten free recipe!