Orange-Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Name: Orange-Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Prep time: 50 min
Total time: 100 min
Ingredients: 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; 1 cup superfine almond flour, such as Bob's Red Mill; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature; 0.5 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for tossing and dusting; 0.25 cup granulated sugar; 0.5 teaspoon grated orange zest; 0.75 cup orange marmalade or other fruit jam

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By

Sarah Carey

Updated on November 19, 2019

orange-almond thumbprint cookies — Photo: Alpha Smoot

Prep Time:

50 mins

Total Time:

1 hrs 40 mins

Yield:

6 dozen

These bright, cheery thumbprint cookies get their delicate crumb from a mixture of almond flour and confectioners' sugar. Fill their little wells with warm marmalade or the jam of your choice.

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup superfine almond flour, such as Bob's Red Mill
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for tossing and dusting
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon grated orange zest
¾ cup orange marmalade or other fruit jam

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours and salt. Beat butter with both sugars and zest in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; gradually add flour mixture, beating just until a dough forms.
Scoop dough using a 1 1/8-inch scoop (about 1 1/2 teaspoons); roll into balls and arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, 1 inch apart. With the tip of your pinkie, create a deep well in center of each ball. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven; reshape indentations with the tip of the handle of a wooden spoon. Return to oven; bake until cookies are lightly browned on bottoms and set in centers, 8 to 10 minutes more.
Let cool on sheets on wire racks 10 minutes. Gently toss in confectioners' sugar to lightly coat; let cool completely. Just before serving or packing, sift more confectioners' sugar over cookies to coat. Bring marmalade to a boil in a small pot. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon into each well. Let stand until marmalade is set, about 15 minutes.

Cook's Notes

The dough can be made up to three days ahead, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated. Baked, unfilled cookies can be frozen up to 1 month, or stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days; dust with confectioners' sugar just before filling and packing or serving.