Raspberry Dreams

I decided to make these cookies just for something different for the Airman Cookie Drive. I figured there would be a fair amount of sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies, so I wanted to branch out a bit. I had no idea these cookies would turn out to be such a hit! Andrew loves them. I love them. My friends who have eaten them here love them. I think I will have to keep making them now! 🙂

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 t. almond extract
1/2 t. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
1/3 c. seedless raspberry jam
1 c. powdered sugar
2-3 t. water

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in almond extract and gradually add flour until dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate until easy to handle, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets 1 inch apart. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each ball a little less than 1/4 inch deep. Fill with jam. Bake 14-18 minutes or until edges are slightly golden. Cool on baking racks. Spoon in additional jam as needed. Cool completely.
3. Combine powdered sugar, water, and vanilla extract; mix well. Drizzle thinly over cooled cookies.

Yield: 3 dozen

**The recipe calls for seedless raspberry jam, and all I could find at the commissary was the sugar-free stuff. So next time I will probably just get regular raspberry jam (with seeds), since I don’t like that artificial sweetener taste. It’s just up to what you prefer!