Recipe: Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies

In honor of the holiday season, I'm sharing one of my absolute favorite Christmas cookie recipes. Well, I actually make these all year because they are freaking amazing, but my mother-in-law makes them at Christmas time so that's why I'm categorizing them as a Christmas cookie. It's very well justified.

The recipe makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies. Sounds like a lot. But it's not. It's actually never enough in our household.

The directions are word for word from the original recipe my mother-in-law sent me last year. I always follow them exactly and the cookies come out perfectly every time!

Ingredients:
-2/3 cup sugar
-1 cup butter softened (Katy speaking: I sometimes use margarine and they are even better...and worse for you but oh well.)
-1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
-2 cups all purpose flour (Make sure dough is not greasy... if it is, add a little more flour until it is like a soft play dough)
-1/2 cup raspberry preserves or jelly (Or strawberry jelly, you can try different flavors, whichever you prefer)

 Glaze:

-1 cup powdered sugar
-1 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring (You can add a little less if you think it may be too strong)
-2-3 tsp. water

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix sugar, butter and almond flavoring. Beat at medium speed 1-2 minutes until creamy. Reduce to low speed and slowly add flour. Continue until well mixed 1-2 minutes. Shape into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart. Make a thumbprint and fill with about 1/2 teaspoon raspberry preserves (or any other flavor you like).

Bake 14-18 minutes until light brown (I usually check at 10 minutes). Remove from pan and cool. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. I usually just drizzle thin lines across the cookies.

Now go and enjoy some cookies! You deserve it.

I took pictures of my Christmas decorations yesterday....we'll see if I get around to posting them this week haha.

Adios!