Almond-Raspberry Thumbprints

It's come to be that time of year once again where this otherwise healthy-eating dietitian buckles down and bakes cookies for two solid weekends- that's right- CHRISTMAS TIME!!! Now in my typical life I'm not the biggest cookie fan, so luckily there's no temptation in baking 13 dozen cookies, and having them cool on counters in plain sight.
OR SO I THOUGHT.
Something crazy happened this year- I found a cookie that I fell in food-love with. Every year I try a new recipe (and by "try a new recipe" I actually mean "find a recipe, decide it needs more of xyz, less of yadayadayada, and rewrite most of it to my own taste and cooking specifications") and Christmas 2009 was no different. I decided I would make Classic Sugar cookies with Super Shiny Icing, Oatmeal Craisin Chocolate Chip Cookies (a special Oatmeal Craisin Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Chip batch for a certain boyfriend's roommate), and a blast from my past- Mom's Thumbprint cookies. I emailed my mom for the ever-popular recipe, read it over, and realized this recipe definitely needed a baker's touch (AKA my opinions).

Changes I Made:

1. 1 tsp Vanilla? Heck no. Vanilla is for suckers. I swapped it for 1/4 tsp of Almond Extract
2. Mom used apricot and seeded raspberry preserves... not a fan of apricot, and I HATE raspberry seeds- Seedless Raspberry won
3. I am scared of germs. Thumbs are dirty (especially thumb nails). You may think "I've cleaned my hands SO well!" WRONG. I've seen the poster in the hospital bathroom. The thumb is ALWAYS dirtiest. With this in mind, I use my 2 tsp cookie scoop to measure the dough out, and a 1/4tsp measuring spoon to make my "thumbprints." No thumb germs in MY cookies!
4. Ingredient order - changes can be seen in the recipe below.
5. The name! Thumbprint Cookies just sounds boring. "Almond-Raspberry Thumbprints" ... well, my mouth is watering


Almond-Raspberry Thumbprints

1 c. Butter, softened
3 oz Cream Cheese
1 c. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Almond Extract
1 Egg Yolk
Some Cinnamon (honestly, who measures cinnamon??)
2-1/2 c. Flour
Seedless Raspberry Jam

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream together Butter, Cream Cheese, and Sugar.
3. Add Almond Extract, Egg Yolk, and Cinnamon, mixing well.
4. Slowly incorporate the flour into the dough (I do 1/2 c. at a time)
5. Scoop out 2 tsp of dough and place on cookie sheet (repeat until cookie sheet is full **NOTE: the cookies don't spread much when they're being cooked, so feel free to put a bunch on a cookie sheet**)
6. Using a 1/4 tsp measuring spoon, make an indentation in the top, center of each ball of dough
7. Using another 1/4 tsp measuring spoon, scoop out a little raspberry jam and place it in the indentation.
8. Bake for 12-14 minutes then let cool on a cooling rack
9. Try not to eat all 5 dozen. Good luck.


Luckily, I was making cookies for family members and friends, so as soon as they were cool I was able to place them in tins far out of my reach (except for the 6 cookies I ACCIDENTALLY left on the counter. Total accident.) These may be my new favorite Christmas cookie, and will definitely be added to the Christmas Cookie Repertoire.

And now for the Registered Dietitian's Holiday Message: "This season, enjoy your family, friends, and food, but all in moderation."

Have a very Merry Christmas, everyone!

Love,
Lorilyn