Pink Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies

 

I have come across a couple of different pink lemonade cookies in my searches, but I have to be really careful when I look at the ingredients. So many recipes use a couple of tablespoons of pink lemonade concentrate, which isn’t something that I have on hand, nor do I want to buy it and only use a small portion. This recipe was different, as it used lemon juice, lemon zest, and raspberries. However, these cookies have its own oddity.

The filling for these cookies uses 2 raspberries. How on earth are you supposed to get two raspberries? It’s such a weird quantity, and stores certainly don’t sell anything less than a pint or so. I ended up making this recipe sooner than expected because I bought some prepared mixed fruit, and it had a few raspberries mixed in. It was a nice surprise and I set those aside for these cookies. What else are you going to do?

These cookies, as they are a lemon shortbread, bake for quite a long time. You partially bake them, make and indentation, then finish baking. That’s a different process for me but isn’t difficult unless you accidentally hit the hot baking sheet! I wasn’t too sure that the mashed raspberry would become a nice filling for these thumbprints, but the filling came together beautifully, with a lovely pink color. The cookies have a great lemon flavor, not too sweet. The filling adds a burst of sweetness that can’t be beat.

Pink Lemonade Thumbprint Cookies
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 raspberries, crushed
Additional powdered sugar

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ½ cup powdered sugar, and salt; set aside. In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, ¼ cup powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice on medium until light. With the mixer running on low, add the flour mixture and stir until the dough comes together.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Freeze the dough for 15 minutes.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and make an indentation in the top of each cookie using the end of a wooden spoon or similar tool.

Return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 16-18 minutes, until barely browned on the bottom. Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack.

While the cookies cool, make the filling. In a small bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and raspberries. Dust the cookies with powdered sugar and then pipe the filling into the center of each cookie. Allow the cookies to set before serving.

Recipe from Inspired by Charm