Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract (you may substitute vanilla extract)
• 2 cups flour
• your favorite jam, approximately 1/3 cup, for filling

-Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

-Beat the butter, sugar and extract in the bowl of your mixer until well combined.

-Beat in the flour. Start at a low speed, increasing the speed as the flour incorporates.

Notes: Using cold butter will save time in the long run--you won't need to chill the dough. However, if you do not have a heavy-duty mixer that's powerful enough to mix the cold butter, use softened butter. If using softened butter, chill the dough for up to an hour, until it is firm enough to hold its shape.

-Shape the dough into balls (or use a cookie scoop) and place on an ungreased baking pan (or line your

pan with parchment). Leave at least 2" of space between cookies.

-Make an indentation in the center of each cookie.

-Drop a teaspoon of jam into each indentation.

-Bake for 10-12 minutes for small cookies or 12-15 minutes for large cookies, or until cookies are barely

starting to turn brown around the edges.

-Allow the cookies to cool for 2 or 3 minutes before removing them from the pan. Transfer the cookies

(with care!) onto a wire rack to finish cooling.