Perfect Thumbprint Cookies

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My mother, Pauline, made really nice thumbprint cookies, but I never wrote down her recipe. I knew the ingredients, but unless you have the right proportions, you won't get that perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture. So, I did an image search and found a recipe that looked very similar, credited to a great-grandma named Mitzi. Since my last name is Mitzewich, that pretty much sealed the deal. In case you can't decide between a shortbread-focused cookie and a jammier one, here's how to make both.
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Additional Needed Recipe: Cookie Icing

Instructions

  1. Gather all ingredients.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  3. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
  4. Mix 1/3 cup powdered sugar and butter together in a large bowl with a rubber spatula until creamy.
  5. Add egg yolk, vanilla, salt, and almond extract; mix well.
  6. Blend in flour until just combined.
  7. Use a sorbet scoop to portion dough into 1/2-ounce (about 1 tablespoon) balls.
  8. Roll each ball in a plate of white sugar to coat; roll again between your palms.
  9. Place several inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
  10. Flatten balls lightly with your fingers.
  11. For rounder cookies with less jam, poke a well into each ball using a finger or the end of a thick wooden spoon dusted with powdered sugar.
  12. Fill wells with fruit jam. Tap the baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
  13. For flatter, jammier cookies: Press thumb into each ball to make a large, shallow indentation.
  14. Spoon in jam. Tap the baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
  15. Bake in the preheated oven until light golden brown, about 15 minutes.
  16. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  17. Dust with powdered sugar.
  18. Icing: Place 1 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add milk, a little at a time, until icing reaches a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. Pipe over cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.