Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour*
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 2 – 4 tsp water

Directions

1. For the cookies: Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Whisk the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl, then put it aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cold butter and sugar until they come together; because the butter is cold, this may take 1 or 2 minutes.
2. Add the almond extract and mix it in. Pour in the flour mixture and keep mixing until the dough gathers together. It will look very dry and crumbly at the beginning, but be patient and let the mixer do its job.
3. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, using about 1 Tbsp of dough for each one, and arrange them 2-inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press a small well into the center of each cookie with your thumb or forefinger, making it big enough to hold 1/4 – 1/2 tsp jam. Spoon 1/4 – 1/2 tsp jam into each indentation.
4. Place the cookies in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, or in the freezer for 10 minutes. Bake in the preheated oven for 14 – 18 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for several minutes, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
5. For the glaze: In a small mixing bowl, whisk the glaze ingredients together, adding enough water to get the consistency you want. Transfer the glaze to a sandwich size resealable bag, snip a small bit from one corner, and drizzle it over the cooled cookies. Let the glaze set at room temperature, then store the cookies in an airtight container.