Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

Have been making these for Christmas since they first appeared in a Pillsbury Classic cookbook many years ago. They are a tender, buttery, melt-in-your mouth cookie that also look pretty on the plate. They do spread a bit, so I always chill the dough first and roll the dough into balls a little smaller than the recipe suggests. This is simply a perfect Christmas cookie.

I've made these cookies a half-dozen times now. They've been DELICIOUS every single time, but here's a few words of advice: First, do not leave out the almond extract or sub it with vanilla. The almond adds a great flavor and its very distinct. Second, pull the cookies out of the oven midway through cooking, take a spoon and lightly spread the jam outwards and even it out into a circle. This way, the cookies will look much prettier when done. The first time I made them, the jam had bubbled all over the cookie and wasn't evenly spread. The flavor was the same of course but the jam likes to go its own direction and I like them to look pretty. Great recipe! ETA: I have found that once the cookies are ready to be put in the oven, if you put them in the fridge for ~15 minutes, it will eliminate the need to "fix" the jam half-way through baking. Also, because shortbread is naturally so white, it is easy to burn these without realizing that the bottoms are browning. So, carefully watch the edges and when they turn light brown, they are done (even if they don't look like it!) Also, use the back of a teaspoon to make perfect little holes to fill.

These are so fabulously simple and great. Although... it did take 3 tries in the oven before I figured out how to eliminate the jam from spreading all over my cookie sheets and creating a mess! (even the messy looking cookies tasted great though) I should have listened to other reviews... In the end... I made the cookies like small little buttons - about the size of a quarter, rolled them into a ball, like another reviewer and then made a nice indent for the jam. You don't need a lot of jam... when you use too much, the jam will destroy your cookie sheets... suggestion for novice bakers like me... use parchment paper the first few rounds so you don't have to deal with the mess in the event you don't use the right amount of jam or push the indent enough to hold the jam... Anyhow, I baked the really small cookies for only 12 1/2 minutes and they turned out fabulously. Each oven is different though... that much I've learned... so I started to look for golden brown edges and then pulled the cookies out .... makes for a tasty shortbread cookie! even my husband, who is a die-hard chocolate chip cookie lover and told me "i don't like sugar/shortbread type cookies"... well... he has managed to eat close to a dozen of the little button cookies in the past few hours!

Wow - a simple cooke with a absolutely decadent flavor! I mean these are really, really good. the key to these is chilling the dough, rolling them small and taking the genious advice of using a chapstick cap to make the indentions. Whoever thought of that little trick deserves a medal! These cookies definitely melt in your mouth. I used glaze featured with the recipe, but you can definitely change this up with melted white and dark chocolate - YUM!

The first time I made this recipe I didn't have any butter on hand and used margarine (Can't Believe It's Not Butter). Although I typically never bake with margarine - I was surprised at how well it worked for this recipe. Although the recipe works as stated - I've found a way to "improve" it a bit. By adding 2 egg yolks and 2 extra tablespoons of flour - it creates a tastier cake-like cookie. The trick is to beat the butter by itself until the butter is very pale - then add the sugar and beat again until very very pale. Add the eggs and flavoring - then add the flour. I don't use extract because I don't use any alcohol - I have found an almond emulsion for bakers (alcohol free and much better than extracts) and these cookies are PHENOMENAL with the almond flavoring. Vanilla works well too - but the almond is the best! Of all the cookies I bake these are the most requested cookies. I use a cookie scoop to have even sized cookies - shape them into round balls and only use my thumb to make the indentation. Fill a plastic ziplock bag with the preserves and snip the corner of the bag - and pipe the preserves into the center of the cookie (less fuss and mess)... if you have any extra preserves you can just squeeze it back into the jar. Be sure to use parchment paper, rotate half way through baking, and remove from oven when the bottoms begin to brown (the tops of the cookie shouldn't brown).

These cookies are not only impressive, they are mouth watering delicious! I made the "thumb print" indentation with a wine bottle cork, and filled the centers with a seedless raspberry preserve that I heated on the stove for an easier consistency. I alternated the drizzle every other cookie with a semi-sweet chocolate and the almond glaze, using a zip lock baggie to pipe the glaze. This has got to be the most simple, yet impressive cookie I have ever made!

The best and easiest holiday cookie out there. I have been making this for a few years now. I make equal batches of Strawberry and Raspberry. These cookies spread. After you roll your cookies and put your jam in put them back in the fridge for about 20 min. makes a huge difference.

These didn't turn out exactly how I was expecting, however, the taste made up for the appearance. Make sure to space the cookies far enough apart on the cookie sheet so they don't end up molded together. AND...make your thumb print indentions deep enough so the raspberry jam doesn't run out. Mind did just that and made a mess on my cookie sheet. I suggest using your little finger instead of your thumb...so the indentions look a little more delicate. I sprinkled poppy seeds in my dough before baking to give the cookies a little "something". I had to use a little more than 1 tsp of milk to make a glaze. I poured my glaze into a ziploc bag, cut off a corner and drizzled the glaze on the cookies. Again, despite the runny jam, these did taste really good and I do recommened them:) Thanks for sharing Dee. P.S. The second batch I made, I used the top of a chap-stick container to make my indentions...they turned out great!!

Wonderfully easy and yummy! Made these for a cookie exchange and found that even when made with the same exact ingredients the temperature of these ingredients can effect the expansion of the cookies...the cooler the dough before you put it in the oven, the less I found these to expand.

This is a great recipe, though I made a small change in the interest of saving time: I plopped the dough balls on the cookie sheets, made the "thumbprints" using a wine cork (worked wonderfully), and put the cookies WITHOUT JAM into the oven for 10-12 mins. I took them out just before the bottom edges started to get brown (note: the "thumbprints" inflated a bit, so they were pretty shallow by the time they came out of the oven). As soon as the cookies were out of the oven, I filled the indentations with raspberry jam. The cookies came out beautifully and were even tastier the next day, after the cookie and jam had settled together. In my opinion, no need to bake the cookies WITH the jam--this way, you can avoid the need to refrigerate the cookies beforehand, and there's no worry of a jam mess in the oven.

Why in the world should you bother to find a chapstick container and clean off the lid when you can just use the lid to the almond extract? That's what I did, and it worked perfectly!

I added 1/4 cup of flour and lowered the oven temperature to 325F. I scooped the dough with my smallest cookie scoop and rolled them in my palms and flattened them slightly. I held the ball in a cupped palm and gently pressed the handle end of a large wooden spoon into the dough to create a round imprint. This method kept the dough from cracking. The balls were slightly bowl shaped on the bottoms when I placed them on the cookie sheet but they cooked down...without any cracks. I used a baby spoon to fill the indentation holes with blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry jellies. I put the first batch in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking and I alternated pans in the freezer and oven during cooking times. I baked them for 20 minutes. They need to brown SLIGHTLY, otherwise the dough will be raw under the jelly. After baking, I chipped off the crispy crumbles that formed around the cookies. I used 2 1/2 teaspoons milk in the icing to thin it to a drizzle consistancy. DO NOT ice these until they are completely cool or your icing will melt and won't look drizzled. Although, next time I'll probably skip the icing because it makes the cookies way too sweet. I'll also probably decrease the amount of almond extract in the cookies and omit it from the icing alltogether. Makes 30 beautiful and delicious cookies.

I was very dissapointed in these cookies! I followed the recipe exactly and ended up with flat cookies! They looked more like saucers than cookies, the jelly spread everywhere. I will try these again sometime but will look through reviews on how to make them like the picture.

I love these cookies. I chilled them overnight and baked them today. I found that putting the jam in a ziploc bag to pipe helped keep from making a mess and made the jam easier to handle--squishing it in the bag warms it up. I think they look adorable and they taste delicious! *Update*: I made these once with the hand mixer. I won't ever do that again! It makes the butter melt and they don't turn out. Use a pastry cutter like I usually do and they will turn out very well.

Very easy cookie to make and the results are delicious. The dough was extremely easy to work with, no chilling necessary. I added the flour in 4 parts and mixed everything till just blended with a plain fork. The first time, I made them big...I used a tablespoon to measure out the dough and pressed out shallow centers down with my fingers till it made 1.75" size cookies. The next time, I used a teaspoon and pressed out a deeper center and ended up with 1" cookies. The smaller ones looked cuter, but they both tasted good. I didn't see any seedless preserves at my local Trader Joe's, so i just used seeded raspberry preserves. I used a non-insulated dark baking sheet and I had no problems with spreading. I did not make any of the icing. The cookies were crisp at first, but after sitting out for about an hour, the texture was softer. (I uploaded photos of the finished cookie).

Thanks for the fabulous recipe, Dee! Easy and delicious! Thanks also to the various reviewers who suggested using a chapstick cap to make the indentations. I coated my hands with powdered sugar to roll the balls (about an inch in size) and then dipped the chapstick cap in powdered sugar as well -- worked perfectly. You need to be sure and leave enough dough under the indentation so that the jam doesn't seep through it while baking. For fun, I tried all the jams in our fridge -- strawberry, apple, blackberry and raspberry. Because the cookie isn't highly flavorful on its own, you need to use a strongly flavored jam. Raspberry was perfect. I made these for my husband and didn't expect to like them myself since I don't care for raspberry. But I just LOVED the raspberry in this recipe! The other jams I tried just didn't have the same "oomph," so I'd definitely recommend sticking with raspberry or a similarly strongly flavored jam.

I wish people would take into account the reviews before reviewing. If the majority of people give something 5 stars don't one star because baking isn't your forte. These are delicious. I added the extra 1/4C of flour, used raspberry, apricot and strawberry jam, rolled some in crushed almonds and put them in the fridge for 20 minutes before baking..they came out picture perfect!

They came out excellent! I was able to halve the recipe without a problem. I also did the following: 1) Added two extra tablespoons of flour 2) Added 1/4 teaspoon BAKING POWDER! (this helps them from spreading out and becoming super flat) 3) Took the cookies out midway through baking and added more raspberry filling so it wouldn't crust up and get chewy. I followed other reviews and used parchment paper as well. Irresistible cookies!

These turned out great! I followed some of the other reviewer's advice and used the chapstick cap for the indentations (seriously, I have little hands and my thumb would have made too large of spaces) and chilled the cookies in the fridge about 10 minutes before I threw them in the oven. Also, I had to add another teaspoon of milk as one teaspoon just made a glaze the consistency of a thick glue that wouldn't drizzle. Other than that followed the recipe and they turned out perfect!

Delicious! Sometimes I make these by forming a 1/2" log ... flatten it out a little and use your finger to make indentations across about every inch or so. Then fill those indentations with the jam. When the come out, give them a few minutes, then when they're still warm cut them into slices. It's actually easier that way instead of rolling a whole bunch of balls.

This recipe was excellent. I made it last Mothers Day. I used cookie cutters to shape them like flowers. I baked other cookies as well shaped as cookies, stuck them on skewers, and made a cookie bouquet! I wrapped the raspberry & almond shortbread thumbprints in colorful saran wrap and tied them with ribbon's (since they couldn't stand on the skewer's). My mom absolutely loved it!

I made these for my cookie exchange this Christmas, and everyone raved about them! They are so easy and taste "fancy," but to make them even more special, I added an almond slice to the top after baking (centered over the jam) and then drizzled the glaze over the whole thing. I also tinted some of the glaze green to make it more Christmas-y, but I think I prefer the white glaze! This simple cookies also freeze well if you wait until the glaze is "set" and then separate layers with waxed paper.

the 1st batch I made I took another reviewer advice of adding an extra 1/4 cup of flour forget that! Took me so long to get the cookies to roll into a ball. The second batch I followed the recipe as stated turned out great. I did put the cookies in the freezer before baking though.

5 star recipe all the way, I find it works better if I do not soften the butter. Different flavor of jam work well too (blackberry is a favorite!) and I generally leave off the icing they are yummy without it.

Have made these cookies several times, and they are without a doubt my favorite. The only tip I can give is not to make the glaze to runny as it tends to puddle in the middle. Thicker glaze stays put and makes for a pretty cookie. I use 2-3 tsp. water instead of milk.

I LOVE these cookies and have been making them for years at Christmas. I have a convection oven and cook three trays at once and they always turn out perfectly. I use insulated cookie sheets and adjust my oven according to the manufacturer's directions (for mine, I turn the oven down 25 degrees). Also, I drizzle the top of my cookies with melted white chocolate instead of the confectioner's sugar glaze. Pure heaven!

These are delicious! The shortbread part is exactly how shortbread should taste. I did find that they cooked in 10-12 mins instead of 14-18. I was scared the almond would be too much, so I didn't quite fill up the measuring spoons when measuring it. Turned out perfect for me! Make sure to fill the holes all the way up to the top with the jam for a prettier cookie. NOTE: For me, these cookies do NOT turn out when it's raining. I've made them a dozen times and when it is raining or humid out, the cookies turn brown at the edges and run. If it is dry and sunny, they turn out PERFECT.

I love these cookies. The bottoms were perfectly browned and slightly crisp but also a little chewy. Perfect! Now, I have to say one thing about a previous reviewer making suggestions on how to keep the shape of the cookies; I dunno what she's talking about! Yikes, she put a lot of work into making hers higher by not softening the butter and adding flour and refrigerating before baking. Take my advice and don't waste your time. I was a little concerned that the dough wouldn't hold it's shape but if you look at the pic I took you'll see my concerns were unfounded. I mixed the softened margarine by hand and omitted the glaze. To make them look more uniform I used a 1/2 tsp measuring spoon, dipped the back in flour (to avoid sticking), and used that to make the "thumbprint." Mine aren't raspberry because I wanted to use some lemon curd I had and I also replaced the almond extract with lemon. Yum! This cookie is a real winner and a breeze to make.

Yummy!!! I made this recipe for Christmas Eve. I got so many compliments and requests for the recipe! Thank you!!

I have to say that I just made these 4 hours ago, and they are all gone! Obviously a huge hit. I got scared about adding to much jam by all the reviews that said it bubbled over, but I just put them in the fridge for a couple minutes like everyone else said, and they didn't run over at all, I could have added more.

These cookies were an absolute hit! After following the recipe to the last detail, my first round turned out exactly as MarcieJ said they would... completely flat, and nothing like the picture. So as soon as I took them out of the oven, I started making some of the changes that MarcieJ suggested, to save the rest of the batch. I lowered the oven temp, added flour to the dough, and after shaping the cookies and adding the jam, I put them in the freezer for 10 minutes. The second round were picture perfect. Don't bother sticking to the recipe on this one, or you'll be disappointed with the outcome. Make the changes, and your eyes and stomach will both be very happy.

Awesome recipe! Very easy to make. Turned out very well.

These are lovely. Don't burn your tongue on the hot jam, while eagerly trying to shove a fresh-out-of-the oven cookie in your mouth.

Very good cookies, and easy to make too! Make sure the dough is cold before putting in the oven, or they will flatten out too much. I used a seedless raspberry jam and the cookies turned out perfectly. The only thing I had to do different was use WAY more milk for the glaze. One teaspoon is not even close to being enough. I ended up having to use at least 5 tsp. I'd also wait at least 5 mins before drizzling the cookies. Otherwise the cookies are too hot and the glaze ends up melting and pooling in the middle of the cookie.

This is a very easy, tasty cookie with an elegant look. I have made these twice now the second time ommitting the drizzle which cut the sweetness. Thanks for sharing.

I love these so much...I have made them many times and followed this tip from other reviewers: do not sub. the almond extract! I like to use apricot and SEEDLESS raspberry preserves for mine. YUM!

I followed the recipe to the letter and didn't have any troubles with spreading, like some other reviewers mentioned. These are delicate and beautiful. My whole family loved them.

I have been making this recipe for several years and it is great! Just a few ideas to help in your cookie experience. Yes they spread as stated in other reviews. You will only need to make small balls the size of a quarter or less! I use a small cookie scoop to make my balls. The dough freezes well so if you are making many, roll them in balls and freeze them in a rigid container which is well sealed. To bake place balls on a cookie sheet, thaw slightly and push a small indentation in the cookies. (I use childs medicine spoon, anything small and round) My favorite Rapsberry fill is "SOLO". Using a cake decorating bag to squeeze the fill in the holes is quick and easy. I do not use the glaze, the cookies are great w/o.

Made these last night. The only changes to the recipe I made was that I added a little extra almond extract (used pure not imitation), and I also didn't mix the butter and sugar first. I added everything to my bowl all at once. They tasted absolutely wonderful, but were very very flat. Next time I'll be following the recipe with more precision.

Simplicity itself. Followed the original recipe with no problems. I've also made these using cherry preserves with equal success. Will definitely keep using this recipe!

These were great. I did not add the almond extract or the glaze and followed a suggestion to use cold butter. It was a bit harder to mix at first but they did not go flat and jam stayed in the middle. And I made them with two toddlers helping me to shape the little balls and they turned out great. Keeper!

These cookies are delicious and so easy to make! I didn't have any problems with them being flat or the jam spilling over. I placed the dough in the refrigerator for about one hour. Then I rolled the dough into 1" balls. I used a food scale, and each ball was 0.65 oz. I used the end of a chapstick to make the indent; the indent was pretty deep since I wanted a lot of jam. I piped the jam into the indent by putting the jam in a ziploc bag and snipping off a corner. I was generous with the amount of jam; I made sure each indent was filled to the top. After rolling and filling, I placed the whole cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper) in the freezer for about 8 minutes. Then I baked the cookies for about 14-15 minutes (until edges are lightly brown) and let the cookies rest on the sheet for about 2 minutes. They turned out perfect! I tried them with the glaze and prefer them without the glaze. Also, I used unsoftened salted butter (I made sure to whip the butter and sugar until fluffy).

These were A LOT of work, and I was not impressed with the end result. Maybe I'm just not used to shortbreads, but I found this way too greasy. The dough was also difficult to work with. Sorry, but I would not make this again.

First let me say that I've never cared for these types of similar looking cookies like the ones you see in the store.(always hard, never enough jam) but thought the hubby might like them so I made these for him last night and WOW!!! LIFE CHANGING!! Not only were they a huge hit with him, but this is by far, the best I've tasted....seriously, the flavors are awesome! Followed the recipe exactly except I chilled the dough 30 mins before rolling, and used apricot and seedless blackberry jams. I also made 2 cookies with plum jelly just as a test, and that was really good too! It made 36 beautiful, perfect looking cookies!! I had a lot of fun making these as he distracted me many times in excitement, :) ... My favorite thing about it is that i got to add the amount of preserves i want. ...My only regret? Is that i didnt take another reviewer's advice and make a second batch. To all those who said they only make these at holiday times once a year: I honestly don't know how you do it, but hats off, ladies-I'm not that strong. LOL I will be making another batch tomorrow cuz they're going fast...so irresistible...

Based on the reviews, I added 1/4" flour and also put the cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking so they wouldn't get flat. Great tips. I thought the glaze made the cookies a little too sweet. Next time I make a batch, I'll omit the glaze.

Since I didn't have rasberry jam, I used strawberry, and omitted the sugar glaze and instead rolled the uncooked cookies in coconut. Unfortunately, something went wrong and while cooking, the cookies expanded to huge, flat, red blobs. I didn't make them very big, so I don't know what happened. Be very careful when rolling the balls, (make them SMALL) and only add a BIT of jam, I think I added to much. I may try again, but am discouraged by the fickleness of these cookies.

I LOVE the almond extract....more flavor than vanilla extract without being overbearing. I now use almond extract in different sugar cookies...great!

Wonderful!!! I registered just so I can write a review... I loved this recipe. I am the world worst baker, But this was easy and yummy! Supper buttery. I used vanilla extract because that’s all I had & also used raspberry spread but it came out great and it looked just like the pictures. I noticed that if I use my thumb the cookie dough cracked so I used a fork with a round handle and it was perfect. Ok... so a few people wrote that the recipe didn't work for them and that the cookies didn't retain their shape. I made a second batch a day after I wrote this review and found that if you wait too long to cook the cookies the butter starts to melt and the batter gets a bit gooey, so it didn't seem like the cookies would retain the shape so I used a mini muffin pan. IT CAME OUT GREAT.

Great cookies! Very easy to make! However, one thing I didn't care too much for was the STRONG almond flavor. It made them almost too sweet for me. I'd like to figure out how to change that. Also, I did follow the advice of others and refrigerated them for about 15 minutes before baking and they held up very nicely. I also used the advice of another review and used the end of a tube of chapstick to make the indentions for the filling. They turned out picture perfect!

These were fabulous! I actually tried 4 different flavors of jam just to see what's liked best--strawberry, blackberry, apricot and raspberry. They are all a hit! My glaze was a bit too runny I think because it mostly just pooled in the jam or ran off the sides but the almond flavor really adds. I made with my 3 year old and they were much more fun than regular cookies.

When I made these cookies, I happen to of made a batch and a half of the cookie dough, but after baking, the dough spread, and the jam ran. I had to throw out 2 pans of the cookies. I then added a 2/3's cup of flour to the remaining dough, using my hands to work the flour into the remaining cookie dough. The cookies then baked purfectly. If I were to rate this recipe, using the amount of ingredients as written, I would only give this recipe 1 STAR, but since I was able to make this recipe work, by adding more flour, I will give this rate this recipe with 5 STARS. The end results... this is a good tasting cookie, but my husband would of much preferred these cookies without the icing, but as for me, I liked them with the icing. One more thing I wanted to mention here, when it came to adding preserves to the cookie dough, I had used both apricot preserves and seedless raspberry jam. Both tasted great, but I thought the raspberry jam gave these cookies a lot more flavor, and when it came to baking the cookies, I baked them on my Pampered Chef Baking Stoneware for 16 minutes. Dee, thank you for the recipe!

I have but one word for these cookies....AMAZING!!! I couldn't believe how delicious they turned out. I rolled some of the balls into crushed almonds before using the cap of my mascara (I made sure it was clean) to make thumbprints. They looked great! To top them off, I sprinked some crushed almonds on the raspberry center. I will definitely make these again!

One of my favorite Christmas cookies! They are always the first gone off the tray!

I don't understand the folk who substituted vanilla for the almond extract, "almond" is in the title and it's a crucial ingredient. These cookies rock! We rolled them about an inch and only yielded 32 cookies. I don't see how we could have gotten 36 at the size suggested (1 1/2"). The next time I make these I will wait for the cookies to cool completely before drizzling because it puddled to the middle of the cookie and didn't really look appealing. (I say that because I gave them as a gift.) Thanks for sharing this recipe, it's now our 2nd favorite cookie.

12/2006 Update - Suggest making them in 1 inch balls....very good/sweet but bitesize is best! ************************* BEST cookie at the Cookie Exchange! My official "taste-tester" (13 year old neighbor's son) told his Mom "Be sure and get ALOT of those raspberry cookies for me at the party!" I kept them small (maybe 1-1/2 inch balls) used a small indent, and squeezed the jam from corner of 'baggie'. Used the baggie for drizzling too (best invention!) They turned out size of 50cent piece and were 2-bite wonders! Try them.

Very delicious and pretty cookies!! I followed everyone's advice and added 1/4 cup extra flour and an egg. I put the dough in the fridge before forming the cookies and then again refridgerated the whole cookie sheet before putting it in the oven. I put less almond extract but added a dash of lemon juice. The cookies turned out soft, tall, and delicious with no jam leaking out at all. UPDATE: I made these cookies again but this time filled with lemon curd...amazing!

This cookie turned out great! I found the dough a bit too crumbly at first so I added milk a tablespoon at a time, as needed. If the dough gets too sticky, put it in the fridge and allow it to chill for a little while. It will be easier to work with

This was a great cookie. I used lemon extract instead of the almond extract and lemon curd for the filling. My family loves this cookie! Be sure to set your timer and don't overbake. Mine were slightly brown on the bottom only. Land o lakes margarine worked great. No crumbly mixture as noted in previous reviews.

I absolutely love, love, love this recipe! It is so easy and versatile. I make these with so many different flavors of preserves and jellies. So far Ive done, raspberry, peach, mango, strawberry and orange marmalade. I think raspberry is my favorite, but I love them all! I use cold butter instead of softened, and I use either the top of a chapstick or the back of a 1/4 tsp to make the indent. Everyone loves when I make these, they taste like more work than they really are!

OMG...What a great cookie! I am only sorry I didn't make more. These were sooooo good. Make sure you use Almond Extract. I like other's used other types of jams. I used Apricot, Orange, Strawberry and Raspberry. Raspberry was my favorite. These were sooo good! OMG, and I thought they were going to be horrible since some people here said that the jam went all over. Nope for me it was perfect. I used the back of a teaspoon to make the thumbprint and I added the jam and baked. They smelled so good too! I will certainly be making these again for any occasion. I got RAVE reviews. In time they get soft and just even better. This is the perfect tea time cookie!!!

Total failure. These things are falling apart as soon as they are touched (even though more flour was added to make the sticky dough able to be handled). I used butter-flavor Crisco, and it should work just as well as butter, for which it was designed to be a substitute.

2.17.12 ... https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10222/raspberry-and-almond-shortbread-thumbprints/ ... The cookie dough recipe is exactly like LandoLakes recipe. LoL's glaze uses water instead of milk. 'Think milk's better. Also, their recipe is twice the glaze & it really only requires the amount on this recipe. I refrigerated my dough overnight. (That may be why more flour is required if you don't refrigerate). 'Used the joint (between knuckle & fingertip) to make the indentation. It's more consistent. Be sure to not push in too much or the bottom will be too thin when baked. It's okay to mound it a little, too, since it deepens while baking. Mine, 1" balls, were done in 17 minutes on a regular, non airbake, sheet. Both kids liked 'em. 'Used strawberry jam 1/8t - 1/4t per. Let the cookies cool before glazing - unless you like messes. (BTW, Kroger butter won't work for this, but GV will, &, of course, LoL.) Gotta try lipstick trick & Autumn Leaves' comment of making a log, then slicing it. Big time saver! Three dozen balls of firm dough is rough on the hands! :) Extract has to be 1/4t, right? That's what I did. I can't imagine 3/4t extract for so little glaze. Note4Me: Very similar recipe to LandoLakes - except milk in the glaze & less of it. Half is right.

I grew up baking these every Christmas with my Mom. Instead of a thumb or other item, I make the indentation by pressing the bottom of a small measuring spoon into it. Makes a deep enough well that the jam doesn't run out and its a perfect circle. We sprinkled w/sifted confectioner's sugar once they cooled. Problem with that is the conf sugar always "disappears" with any moisture in the air, so I'm looking forward to trying the glaze.

This shortbread base is delicious. I cannot rate the whole recipe, because I was actually just looking for a good shortbread cookie recipe for my holiday cookies. I usually buy the Ghirradelli shortbread cookies with chocolate in the middle, (they are my husbands favorite) but couldnt find them this year! So, I followed this shortbread cookie recipe exactly as the recipe states, but instead of jam, I put a hersheys kiss in the middle. This was the third shortbread recipe I tried, and the others turned out horrible...this one was absolutely perfect and delicious! No need to ever buy boxed again...This will be my new recipe for holiday shortbread cookies! Thanks!!

These were really awesome and so easy to make...the only problem was that the confectioner sugar drizzle was too thick and I added more milk, not much I thought, but it came out too thin. I will definately make these again and work on the "drizzle" part.

I usually read a lot of reviews before I make anything, then I take advantage of many of the tricks/tips the other cooks have offered. First of all, this recipe was terrific just as written !! The first tip I used was to use a melon baller (1.5") to get perfect, uniform sized cookies. I then hand rolled them to shape. The next was the chapstick lid to make the little holes, I had an old chapstick, but it was pretty grungy, but I had been to the dentist the day before, and voila (!!) the sample toothpaste cap was the same size, so used that. The third was piping the jam in, I put it in a baggie, and used one of my small pastry tips shoved through a corner (I hate cleaning my pastry bag, LOL.) Easy clean up, and you can squeeze any leftovers back in the jar. The warmth of your hand is enough to loosen even cold preserves. The fourth tip was the chilling of the dough before piping in the raspberry, but after scooping, rolling and indenting. 15 minutes was recommended, I went with 10. The fifth was to lower the oven temp just a hair, to about 230. It took the full 18 minutes. Using all those tips resulted in a superior cookie. My tip? fill the indents with just a tad more raspberry than you think you should. It doesn't run or bubble and they look great ! Thanks for the great recipe !

So yummy! I made 3 batches of these over the Christmas holidays. They were all eaten up very quick. Thanks for the recipe it will be on my Christmas cookie list from now on.

Delish! only thing I would change is that the ball size should be closer to 1" and I had to make an extra 1/2 batch of the drizzle.

Too sweet, jam didn't solidify, just not my kind of cookie.

These are so delicious. They are so pretty. I followed the recipe exactly except for the glaze. I needed to add a little more milk to make it drizzling consistency. I also used the chapstick lid to make the indentations! Will make every year from now on!

I love these cookies and make them often. They taste just like wedding cake! On dry days the mixture can be a little too crumbly so I add 1 egg yolk and the dough comes together nicely.

These were a huge hit for Thanksgiving! The ones that went the quickest, however, were the ones that I placed Reese's miniatures, Rolos, and Kisses on after they were cooked. I recommend these to anyone.

I have been making these cookies around Christmas for years. I definitely suggest putting the uncooked, ready cookie sheets in the fridge for about 15 minutes before going in the oven. This way the cookies won't spread out as much.

One of my favorite cookies EVER. I loooove them. I like to use rum extract instead of almond and strawberry jam instead of raspberry. Its like a daiquiri cookie!

I made these cookies last Christmas. They were delicious. I also made a batch filled with strawberry jam and drizzled them with semi-sweet chocolate. Yummy!

Goodness, these cookies are amazing! A pretty simple recipe that yields the most delicious cookies. I followed the advice of other reviewers-- I checked the cookies midway through the baking time to even out the jam to make sure it wasn't overflowing everywhere. I found not much need to fix anything. Just don't put too much jam in the cookies. Then it should be fine. Also, do not even think about substituting the almond extract with vanilla. The almond is key in making these cookies smell and taste wonderful!!! As for the icing, I would add a little extra milk to make it less thick for easier drizzling. However, I'd like to add that after drizzling 3 cookies with icing, my bf who has a big sweet tooth said he liked them more without the icing. It's too sweet with it and scrumptious enough without it. I'm definitely making these cookies again.

Just delicous... I put a bit more of flour and refregirated them for half an hour before baking them (as seggested) and they didn't leak at all. Very quick and easy to make... no doubt I'll make them again.

Sorry, but these just didn't work for me. Even after chilling the dough, they still spread like crazy. The flavor was good, but the finished product wasn't something that I would serve to company.

These were good and fairly easy, but i only gave it four stars because it didn't "WOW!" me. The family did love them though, even the picky younger ones.

This was great!! added a few extra TB of flour, baked at 340 for 13-14 minutes. Froze each batch for about 10 minutes before baking to help retain shape. Used a sterilized chapstick top to make 'thumbprints.' Used strawberry jam. Did not use sugar/milk drizzle.

Doesn't taste a thing like shortbread. I was sorely disappointed. I expected so much better after reading so many raving reviews. I will not make these EVER again!

I tried this recipe because it had received so many glowing reviews. I doubled the batch, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. When I saw the consistency of the mixed dough, I tried one batch as instructed in the recipe. The resulting cookie spread out too much, and the texture was greasy. For the rest of the dough, I pressed them into mini muffin cups, added the jam, and froze them for 10 minutes before baking. The result was much better. I was left thinking that this recipe should have had more flour. What did I do wrong? 200 of you can't be wrong!

I made these last Christmas (2010) with leftover jam in the fridge (I had both blackberry and sugar-free blueberry). I did not put the extra icing on top, because they are plenty sweet without and, despite the holidays, I do try to cut back where I can. Word of caution--- do not chill the dough. I made four batches of cookie dough ahead of time and then had a marathon baking day. These do not roll out well when chilled. They really need to be soft.

These were very tasty, I liked the almond flavoring. I used raspberry and apricot Solo filling instead of jam.

These are great. I made exactly as written, except I used homemade raspberry jam that had seeds and it was fine. Delicious.

I cannot say enough good things about this cookie. It was fantastic!!!So goooooood! I practiced with one or two to see how deep to make the indentions and how much jam to add without spillover. I used seedless black raspberry. I had to work with the glaze a bit to get the right consistency. Baked for 10 min. It did not make quite 3 doz. Will make again real soon!!! thanks Dee!!!

These are excellent. I am going to make them again, but with lemon jam.

Awesome recipe. I highly recommend using almond extract and raspberry jam. Something about this combination is just heavenly. Instead of drizzling with frosting, I cover the cookie part (not the jelly center) with powder sugar. It is always a crowd pleaser!

They were OK, but probably won't make again.

These are delicious. My kids don't like Nana's thumbprints, but love these (I had to hide them). The touch of icing on top is a must.

Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I filled a squeeze bottle with the raspberry preserves, which made filling the cookies really easy. I also drizzled with dark chocolate instead of the glaze. This is a permanent addition to my holiday baking!

I made these for the first time years ago and they are absolutely delicious!! I'm going to make them again this week for Christmas. I would just like to say to the reviewers who alter the recipe and them give it a negative review because the cookies didn't turn out like they were supposed to. Of course it's not going to turn out right because you've created a new recipe by doing so. It's not fair to give a recipe a negative review when you've experimented by adding things such as coconut flakes or replacing almond extract with vanilla.

I used my cookie scoop, and formed the ball from that so the dough didn't get too soft. I also used the back of a round 1/2 teaspoon to make the indent in the cookie. I used black raspberry fruit spread, (not as sweet) and after tasting them I decided it didn't need the glaze. I'll make these often!

Very good. I doubled the almond extract in the dough and in the glaze; we're almond fanatics. As some suggested, I used a chapstick tube for the indent and it worked wonderful. I made the indents half as deep as the lid.

outstanding!! My glaze was a little tricky as far as getting the consistency right....I added more milk than what was called for....and it was still hard to drizzle evenly and make them look as pretty as in this picture. Still, these cookies were a hit. (Oh....and I used a high quality raspberry jam that did have seeds...and I thought it was great!)

Delicious cookies and really pretty too. I usually chill the dough for about half an hour to make it easier to work with. Strawberry jam is really nice in these as well.

These are great! Make sure you don't make them too big! They are wonderful

I can't say these really turned out for me. Even when I froze the prepared cookie sheets for 15 minutes, they still turned out pretty flat. They tasted pretty good. Too bad I can't put them on the cookie tray because of how they look... at least it's an easy recipe!

I thought these were outstanding cookies. I read other reviews and found it helpful to add the flour a little at a time. The dough wasn't crumbly at all and very easy to work with. I also didn't have any seedless jam, so I substituted strawberry preserves (with seeds) and it tasted great. I also had to add slightly more milk to the glaze to make it "drippy" enough. I wouldn't skip the glaze. It adds a wonderul almond flavor. I made some without it to see if my family preferred them better that way. It was unanimous that the glazed ones were better. These are definitely a keeper. My family loved them. I will definitely make them again. Thank you, Dee.