THUMBPRINT COOKIES WITH POWDERED SUGAR RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix butter and powdered sugar together with a rubber spatula until creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and egg yolk. Mix with the spatula. Add flour and blend until just combined.
• Use a sorbet scoop to portion dough into 1/2-ounce (1-tablespoon) balls. Roll balls in a plate of white sugar to coat; roll again between your palms. Place several inches apart on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Flatten balls lightly with your fingers.
• To make shortbread cookies with a little jam, poke a well into each cookie using the end of a thick wooden spoon dusted with powdered sugar or using one of your fingers. Fill cookies with fruit jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops are barely blonde and bottoms are slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before icing.
• Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar with a little milk until you have a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. Pipe icing on top of cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
• For a more jam-forward cookie, press your thumb into the cookies to make large, shallow indentations. Spoon in jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter.
• Bake until not quite golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let rest on pan for 5 minutes before transferring a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

Steps:

• Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. Make room in the refrigerator to store the baking sheet for a few hours.
• In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy (approximately 2 minutes). Decrease speed to medium and beat in the vanilla extract and salt. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as necessary.
• With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour into the wet ingredients and mix until soft dough is formed. Dough will be slightly crumbly. This is ok. Press the dough and all of the crumbs into a ball in the bowl.
• Using a cookie scoop (I use this #50 cookie scoop for all of my standard size cookies), roll the dough into 1" balls with your hands. Place the dough balls far enough apart that they can spread. I baked mine in 4 rows of 3. Once you have filled a baking sheet, use your thumb to make an indentation in each dough ball. Dough balls will likely crack, and this is totally fine. You may smooth the cracks with your fingers if you wish. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. If chilling longer than a few hours, cover with plastic wrap.
• When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator. Fill each thumbprint with jam (approximately 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon).
• Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned on the edges. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, before serving. Cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.