Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 ounces almond paste grated
• 5 tablespoons butter softened
• 1 large egg white 
• 5.5 ounces flour all-purpose
• 6 tablespoons raspberry refrigerator jam 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.7 cup sugar 
• 0.3 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• baking paper
• oven
• knife
• blender
• measuring cup
• box grater

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 32
2. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper; secure to baking sheet with masking tape.
3. Place first 3 ingredients in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 4 minutes or until light and fluffy.
4. Add vanilla and egg white; beat well.
5. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
6. Add flour and salt to almond paste mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and shape dough into 36 (1-inch) balls.
7. Place balls 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets, and press thumb into center of each cookie, leaving an indentation.
8. Bake at 325 for 10 minutes or until golden.
9. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon Raspberry Refrigerator Jam into center of each cookie.
10. Notes: Almond paste makes the dough moist and pliable. Look for it in the supermarket baking aisle. The large holes of a box grater work well for grating the almond paste. Use a wine cork instead of your thumb to make a deeper indentation in the cookies. If you bake both pans of cookies at the same time, rotate the pans in the oven halfway through baking time for even browning.