I absolutely LOVE these festive cookies! Buttery shortbread, the tang of the raspberry jam and the crunch of the turbinado cookie makes it the perfect holiday treat! Everyone is going to go crazy for these cookies!
YOU’LL NEED:
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspooons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar for rolling (optional, but you shouldn’t skip this step. It makes these cookies spectacular!)
- 1/2 cup jam or preserves flavor of your choice — I used seedless raspberry jam for this recipe
LET’S BAKE!
-
- Get the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a large bowl and an electric hand mixer) and beat until creamy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add granulated and brown sugars, and beat while gradually increasing mixer speed to medium-high until ingredients are well-combined
- Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat well again.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, and salt together.
- With your mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients until completely combined. The dough will seem dry and crumbly, but that’s what shortbread dough feels like. Just make sure to stop occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. At this point if needed, you can use your hands to finish working the dough together.
- Scoop cookie dough into 1 tablespoon size balls and roll very well so the ball of dough is round and there are no cracks in the cookie dough.
- Roll in turbinado sugar (if using) and place 2″ apart on a parchment covered baking sheet. Use your thumb to gently press an indent in the center of the cookie dough. Repeat until all of the dough has been used. Make sure to make the indent deep, keeping the sides high so the jam doesn’t spill out when baking.
- Put the cookie dough to freezer and chill for 20 minutes.
- Spoon jam into each thumbprint, filling each indent to the brim. Bake on 375°F for 10-11 minutes or until edges are just beginning to turn golden brown.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container once thoroughly cooled.
