When I was a little girl, my mom would always make thumbprint cookies at Christmas time and we would put green or red icing in the thumbprint indents. The buttery shortbread type cookie is a huge hit and fun to pop the whole thing right in your mouth. Wanting to come up with an all-year version, I created these almond thumbprint cookies and they are another one of my sweepstakes winning baked goods. They melt in your mouth.
I do make these at Christmas time as well for holiday gift platters. They are sweet, buttery, light and the butterscotch frosting complements the almond flavor so well.
ALMOND THUMBPRINT COOKIES WITH BUTTERSCOTCH FROSTING
Cookies
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup grated unblanched almonds
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup grated unblanched almonds
2 teaspoons vanilla
Frosting
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup half and half or whipping cream
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup half and half or whipping cream
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: Chopped pistachio nuts for garnish
For Cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, sugar and salt into bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Blend in almonds and vanilla. Work mixture with fingers until a ball of dough is formed. Then shape into 1-inch balls.
Place balls on greased cookie sheets; make a depression in center of each cookie. I use the end of a wooden spoon. Bake about 8 minutes; remove from oven. Dent again and bake about 8 minutes longer; cool.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: Chopped pistachio nuts for garnish
For Cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, sugar and salt into bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Blend in almonds and vanilla. Work mixture with fingers until a ball of dough is formed. Then shape into 1-inch balls.
Place balls on greased cookie sheets; make a depression in center of each cookie. I use the end of a wooden spoon. Bake about 8 minutes; remove from oven. Dent again and bake about 8 minutes longer; cool.
For Frosting: Blend butter, half-and-half or cream and brown sugar in saucepan. Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Cool about 15 minutes, then stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth and thick.
Fill depressions in cookies with butterscotch frosting and sprinkle frosting with nuts.
Fill depressions in cookies with butterscotch frosting and sprinkle frosting with nuts.
Relax and Enjoy!!
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"Our Fingerprints don't fade from the lives we touch."
~Judy Blume
