Raspberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

[Erin Brosnan]

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup raspberry jam or jelly
1 tablespoon Chambord or kirsch
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 large baking
sheets.
In a small bowl, combine the jam and Chambord. Stir to combine.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk
to blend.
In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar
until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice
and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat just until
moist clumps form. Gather the dough
together into a ball.

Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking
sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Use a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to
create depressions in the center of each ball. Fill each indentation
with nearly
1/2 teaspoon of the jam mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 20
minutes.

Leave the cookies on the pan for 4 minutes, then transfer the cookies
to wire racks to cool completely.