Who’s ready for holiday cookies? I’ve been dying to share these little jewels with you all week! Raspberry almond thumbprint cookies have been one of my go-to cookies for ages and it’s about time you got in on this! Thumbprints are good, but shortbread thumbprints are where it’s at, my friends.
Then you add the classic raspberry almond combination and you might end up not sharing a single one! And you know I had to take it up a notch, right? We’re going to talk about that glaze!
I don’t think these cookies are going to take too much convincing! They’re light, buttery, have just the right amount of sweet and I think they kind of sparkle! Due to the fact that the cookie is a shortbread recipe, it’s incredibly easy to make plus they have such a delicate crumb.
Then you have a touch of almond extract in there and it just floats around beautifully. It’s not knock you over the head almond, it’s just enough to let you know it’s there and it’s so unbelievable with the raspberry jam! Speaking of jam, you can use any flavor you want in these cookies, but my heart belongs to raspberry.
The only thing you need to make sure of is that the cookie dough is well chilled before you scoop, roll and bake it.
Once the cookies are completely cooled, we can get to glazing! A sweet amaretto glaze drizzled over the top is definitely the icing on the cake, I mean cookie! The amaretto adds that pop that takes these cookies completely over-the-top. It’s not overpowering at all, it’s just one of those things that after you take a bite, you’ll realize it was meant to be.
If you don’t have any amaretto on hand, you can use a regular vanilla glaze, or go without the glaze. They’re still going to taste fantastic. But let’s be serious, the amaretto glaze is where it’s at, and I think it dresses them up for the holidays!
If you’re following along on Instagram, you’ve probably spotted these gems floating around because they are always on repeat! They are one of the cookies I make most during the holidays because they always deliver, both on taste and looks! Here’s a snap of the latest batch!
Anyone else want to just dive right in?
These are great for gifting and they’ll look gorgeous on your holiday table! My biggest tip is to make more than you think you’ll need because they have a habit of disappearing very quickly!
Happy baking!
Classic thumbprint cookies get a sweet upgrade with a shortbread cookie base, raspberry filling and Amaretto glaze. These easy holiday cookies are festive, beautiful and completely irresistible!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Seedless raspberry jam for filling
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp. + 1½ tsp. amaretto
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add almond and vanilla extracts and continue to mix.
- Add flour and salt, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for a few hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Scoop cookie dough using a cookie scoop that yields 3/4 ounce of dough and place on prepared cookies sheets.
- Roll cookie dough into balls and make an indentation in the middle with your thumb.
- Using a 1/4 teaspoon, fill the indentation with jam.
- Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes, rotating once halfway through.
- Allow to cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- In a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar and Amaretto, adding a little amaretto at a time until you get the right consistency.
- Spoon glaze over completely cooled cookies. You can also use a piping bag to drizzle the glaze.
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Marie Serrano says
Thank you for the Apple Crisp Cheesecake Bar recipe.
I am going to make and bring to our family Christmas
Eve party. You have a lot of nice recipe I will make
others in the future. Thank you MHS
Zainab says
Now these are cookies I want to eat the whole dozen of. Thank you!!!
amy @ fearless homemaker says
Oh, these look and sound SO so sooooo amazing. I will definitely be making them this holiday season, the first free chance I get. YUM!
Monica says
Meghan these look absolutely delicious!! I will definitely be trying this one too!! Your cookies are the best, I just hope mine come out as good as yours!!
Happy Holidays sweetie,
Love you… 🙂
Liz says
Scrumptious! And I love the addition of almond extract and Amaretto with the raspberry jam 🙂
Meghan @ Cake 'n' Knife says
These look so fun and festive – perfect for the holidays! They really do look like little jewels!