Raspberry-Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

These cookies are nice and light, but still full of flavor. The lemon is strong and the raspberry jam is the perfect accompaniment (although I'm sure you could fill the thumbprint with any flavor you want). You can see mine cracked a little. They do hold their shape while baking, so if you don't want the cracks, just take the extra time to smooth them while they're still raw.

RASPBERRY-LEMON THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Yield: 3 1/2 to 4 dozen

1/2 cup raspberry jam

1 tablespoon Chambord or kirsch (or any raspberry liquor)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.      Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets.

2.      In a small bowl, combine the jam and Chambord. Stir to combine.

3.      In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to blend.

4.      In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat just until moist clumps form. Gather the dough together into a ball.

5.      Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Use your floured index finger or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to create depressions in the center of each ball. Fill each indentation with nearly 1/2 teaspoon of the jam mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

6.      Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

from Emeril Lagasse, 2003

lemon zest

mixing the dough

large dough ball

tiny dough ball (close up)

thumbprinting

You can see that I was able to smooth the cracks
(I just didn't bother doing that for all of them).

This is my favorite jam. I love that it's seedless and the flavor is fantastic.

jam mixed with raspberry liquor (I used Framboise)

raw, filled with jam

baked

.