These delightful cookies have an almond-flavored shortbread base which are filled with raspberry preserves. Then they're iced with an almond-powdered sugar icing. Berry Shortbread Dreams are terrific for holiday baking.
1 zip lock bag without the "stand and fill" bottom
Ingredients
COOKIES:
1cupunsalted buttersoftened
2/3cupgranulated sugar
1tsp.almond extract
2cupsUNBLEACHED all-purpose flourbleached flour toughens cookies
1/3 to 1/2cupseedless raspberry jam
GLAZE:
1 1/2cupsconfectioners’ sugar
1 1/2tsp.almond extract
2tbsp.water
Instructions
COOKIES:
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and extract with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add half of the flour and mix on low speed of electric mixture.
Add remaining flour and mix on low speed of electric mixer until dough forms a ball.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.
Roll into 1-inch balls and chill dough again another hour.
Make an indentation in the center of each cookie with your thumb or the bottom of a wooden spoon. (This is easier if you hold each ball in your hand so the cookies don't break apart while inserting the wooden spoon).
Place 1-2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets.
Fill indentation in each cookie with raspberry jam.
Bake at 350˚ for 14-18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
Rotate cookie pans on oven racks after 7 minutes of baking time.
Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Spoon additional jam into cookies if desired.
GLAZE:
Combine confectioners’ sugar, extract and enough water to achieve drizzling consistency.
Scoop icing mixture into a zip-lock bag.
Cut off the tip of one side of the bag.
Drizzle icing over the cookies.
Notes
NOTE: Preparation time does not include time required to chill dough twice.NOTE: You will not need quite this much icing for the cookies.NOTE: I had four racks of 24 cookies per cookie sheet baking at the same time. My cookies took 32 minutes to bake and I rotated the racks every eight minutes.