Tender buttery almond cookies (Printable)

Tender almond cookies filled with raspberry jam and dusted with powdered sugar for a festive treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
02 - 1 cup finely ground blanched almonds (almond flour) (100 g)
03 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (170 g)
06 - 2/3 cup powdered sugar (80 g)
07 - 1 large egg yolk
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
09 - 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

→ Filling & Finishing

10 - 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam (225 g)
11 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for dusting (30 g)

# Directions:

01 - Whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, ground cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
02 - Beat softened butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy.
03 - Add egg yolk, vanilla extract, and grated lemon zest to the butter mixture; beat until well combined.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until a dough forms.
05 - Divide dough in half, flatten each portion into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - Roll one disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thickness, then cut out 2-inch (5 cm) cookies; place half on the baking sheets.
08 - Using a smaller 1-inch (2.5 cm) cutter, cut windows from the remaining dough pieces to form lattice-topped cookies.
09 - Re-roll any leftover dough scraps and repeat cutting as needed.
10 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookie edges are lightly golden; allow to cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
11 - Dust the lattice top cookies with powdered sugar; spread about 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam on the flat side of bottom cookies, then sandwich with the sugared tops.
12 - Let assembled cookies rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow the jam to set before serving.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • They're foolproof enough for a beginner but impressive enough to make people think you've been baking for years.
  • That buttery-almond base stays tender even days later, making them perfect for gifting or spreading across a tea table.
  • The lemon zest is your secret weapon—it lifts the sweetness and makes people pause mid-bite wondering what that spark is.
02 -
  • Don't mix the dough aggressively or these cookies will be hard and disappointing instead of that signature tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
  • The lemon zest is crucial and not optional—it's what separates these from a generic sugar cookie and makes people actually remember them.
  • Let your butter soften naturally at room temperature; if you microwave it, you'll get a greasy, weepy mess that never creams properly.
03 -
  • If your dough keeps sticking to the rolling pin, chill both the dough and the pin between batches for a dramatically smoother experience.
  • Save those dough scraps and bake them plain or with a tiny jam dollop—they're broken cookies nobody expects but everyone wants.
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