2000s Recipes + Menus

Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Makesabout 2 dozen
  • Active time:20 min
  • Start to finish:1 1/2 hr
April 2006
These delicate little almond cookies are perfect for entertaining; the contrast between the crisp cookie and gooey-sweet jam will keep guests coming back for more. And it takes less than 30 minutes of hands-on cooking time to whip up a batch. View more Passover menu ideas in our slideshow.
  • 3/4 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted and cooled
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup matzo cake meal
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • About 2 tablespoons fruit jam, such as raspberry, strawberry, or apricot
  • Pulse almonds, sugar, matzo cake meal, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. (Be careful not to grind to a paste.) Transfer to a bowl and stir in butter, egg, and extracts until combined well. Chill dough, covered, until firm, about 30 minutes.
  • While dough chills, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Drop level tablespoons of dough 1 inch apart onto 2 ungreased baking sheets. Roll dough into balls, then chill until slightly firm, about 10 minutes. Make a 1/2-inch-wide (1/3-inch-deep) indentation in center of each ball using your thumb, index finger, or the rounded end of a wooden spoon. Fill each indentation with 1/4 teaspoon jam and bake, 1 sheet at a time, until tops are pale golden and undersides are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack and cool completely.
Cooks’ note: Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 3 days.
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