Almond-Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

This raspberry thumbprint cookie recipe from cookbook author Claire Saffitz is loosely based on ricciarelli, an almond cookie native to Siena, Italy. It results in tender, macaron-like bites that are crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle—but require a fraction of the time, effort, and technical skill to make.

They’re flavored with raspberry from all angles: tangy, bright raspberry preserves or jam gets added to the dough and spooned into the thumbprint indentation, and pulverized freeze-dried raspberries get mixed with powdered sugar to provide a snowy pink finish.

Even though the cookies look fancy, no special equipment is required. A stand mixer is helpful for the meringue, but an electric handheld one also works. You can use a tablespoon measure to portion the cookie dough into approximately 1" balls, but a cookie scoop works wonders for consistency and faster rolling. While you can make them ahead (see tips at the bottom of the recipe), they’re best eaten on the day they’re baked while the edges are still crispy. Let them cool on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack so they hold together.

If you’re packing these up as gifts for the holiday season, consider pairing them with more of our favorite cookies, like buttery pistachio thumbprint cookies, Colombian galletitas (similar to a Linzer cookie) with apricot jam, and crumbly zebra-striped shortbread cookies.

This recipe was adapted from ‘What’s for Dessert’ by Claire Saffitz. Buy the full book on Amazon.