Cranberry Almond Thumbprints

Cranberry Almond Thumbprints

Ingredients and Directions

For the Almond Cookies

Directions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. About 3 minutes. Be sure to take the time to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.

  2. Add the sugar, mix until combined.

  3. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract, and mix for another 2 minutes.

  4. Add the flour and baking soda, mix until combined and the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes.

  5. Cover dough and chill in the fridge for at least an hour, up to 2 days.

  6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

  7. Use a standard 1 TBSP cookie scoop to portion the dough. Roll it into a ball in your hands and then roll it into the powdered sugar. Coat it liberally. Then place 12 cookies per sheet, leaving some space in between for spreading.

  8. Use a tsp to press a well into the center of each cookie. Press slowly so that the edges don’t crack. Fill each well with the cranberry curd. Sprinkle on sliced almonds.

  9. Place cookie sheet into the freezer for 10 minutes, then bake at 350 for 14 minutes. Freezing the dough prior to baking will help these cookies to not spread as much.

  10. Remove from the oven and let cool on the hot cookie sheet for 4-5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Dust with extra powdered sugar if desired.

Ingredients

  • 6 oz Full Fat Cream Cheese, at room temperature
  • ½ C (113 g) Salted Butter, at room temperature
  • 1 C (200 g)` Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Lg Egg, at room temperature
  • 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
  • ½ tsp Almond Extract Paste (or regular almond extract)
  • 2 ½ C (310 g) All Purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • ¼ C Sliced Almonds
  • Powdered Sugar for rolling and dusting
For the Cranberry Curd Filling

Directions

  1. Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and place over medium low heat.

  2. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

  3. Pour through a fine mesh sieve into a glass jar. Let come to room temperature and then chill until ready to use.

Ingredients

  • 2 Lg Eggs
  • ⅔ C (125 g) Granulated Sugar
  • ⅔ C Pure Cranberry Juice (*NOT cranberry juice cocktail)
  • 3 TBSP Salted Butter
  • Juice of ½ a lemon

To ensure food safety, eggs should be cooked until both the yolk and the white are firm. Consuming raw or undercooked eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially for those with certain medical conditions. For recipes that call for eggs that are raw or undercooked when the dish is served, use either pasteurized shell eggs that have been treated to destroy Salmonella, or use pasteurized egg products.

Click here for more food safety information.