Raspberry Thumbprints

These cookies are always a favorite of mine around the holidays.  They’re light but so flavorful – just the right sweet thing to eat when you feel “too full” for dessert.  

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
• 2/3 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Approximately 1/2 a jar of seedless raspberry jam (you could also use strawberry or cherry, if you desire)

HOW TO MAKE IT

• Sift the flour baking powder and salt together into a bowl
• In another bowl, whip the butter and sugar until fluffy
• Beat the egg and vanilla into the fluffy butter until just combined
• Slowly beat in the dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated
• Scoop the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the sugar
• Place about 2 inches apart on parchment paper lined or greased baking sheet
• Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball, about 1/2 inch deep (I like to use the back of my 1/2 tsp measuring spoon it makes a perfectly round indent)
• To fill each cookie with jam, you can either try to carefully spoon it into each indent or you can use a pastry bag or what I do is spoon the jam into a ziplock bag and cut a small piece of the corner off and then squeeze it through the hole – this makes the jam filling process much easier and less messy!
• Bake cookies at 350°F for approximately 8 minutes or until the bottoms and the edges are golden brown (the tops will remain white)