Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies & The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

 We participated in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap for the 2nd year in a row. We sent these delicious cookies out to 3 different fellow food bloggers. Mom and I both were pinning cookies in the weeks leading up to the exchange and it just so happens we both pinned these Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies. I was worried they would be like any other thumbprint cookie but the almond flavoring in the cookie and the glaze really adds a nice touch. On top of that they are easy to make with only a few ingredients most which you have around the house if you are a regular baker anyway.

These are the delicious cookies we received from 3 other Food Bloggers.

From Left to Right: 

White Chocolate Eggnog Cookies from Anna at Anna Dishes

Chocolate Chip, Orange and Pecan Shortbread from Lauren at Have Fork Will Eat

 Oatmeal Craisin White Chocolate Chip from Samantha at Haute Pepper Bites 

Ingredients for the Cookie:
1 Cup Butter - Softened
2/3 Cup Sugar
1/2 Tsp Almond Extract
2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Seedless Raspberry Jam

Ingredients for the Glaze:
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Almond Extract
2-3 Tsp Water

Yields about 36 cookies

Adapted from: Better Homes & Gardens -  http://www.bhg.com/

Start by beating your softened butter in the stand mixer bowl on a medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and almond extract and continue to mix until well combined. Beat in the flour in two smaller doses. Take the dough out and wrap it in plastic wrap, allow it to chill for around 1 hour in the fridge. If you are in a rush you can always pop it into the freezer for about 20 minutes which is what we did.

While the dough is chilling down, preheat the oven to 350 F. Shape the dough into 1 in balls and place them down on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 in apart. We were worried these tiny cookies would stay that way but they spread out to be a nice sized cookie.

Using your thumb create an indentation in the middle of each ball. Spoon a 1/2 Tsp of jam into each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes until the edges of the cookie are golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool for 1 minutes on the sheet and then the remainder of the time on a wire rack.

When the cookies have cooled a bit you can get the glaze together. Since you will be drizzling you must make sure you have the correct consistency. Too watery it will run all over the place and not set, too thick it will not go on easily. Add more sugar or water to get your desired consistency.

We put the glaze in a plastic zip lock bag and it drizzled over top of the cookies nicely. Allow the glaze to set for about 30 minutes before putting them in a container.

Enjoy!!

&

Linked at: http://www.thecountrycook.net/