Air Fryer Recipe
Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies
These raspberry almond thumbprint cookies bring together the mellow nuttiness of almonds and the bright sweetness of raspberry jam, with the air fryer making them pleasingly simple to bake.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup raspberry jam
- A pinch of salt
- Parchment paper
Method
- Get all the ingredients ready before you start.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla extract and almond extract, then mix well. Gradually work in the almond flour, all-purpose flour and salt. Mix until you have a smooth dough.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and set them on parchment paper. Press your thumb into the centre of each ball to make a small well.
- Spoon raspberry jam into each indentation. Preheat the air fryer to 160°C (320°F).
- Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper. Move the cookies into the basket, leaving space between each one. Air fry for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.
- Leave the cookies to cool on a wire rack before serving.
Why this works in an air fryer
Air fryer convection dries the cookie surface quickly while the butter melts and sets the flour network, giving crisp edges before the almond flour can make the centres greasy. A moderate 160°C limits jam boiling, so the wells stay filled rather than bubbling over and scorching on the parchment.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5–6 litre basket holding about 8–10 small cookies with gaps for airflow; in a single-drawer model bake in batches, while dual-zone drawers usually run slightly cooler per side, so rotate positions or add 1–2 minutes if both zones are loaded.
Common pitfalls
- Jam leaking over the sides by minute 5? The thumbprint is too shallow or overfilled; press a deeper, wider well and use about 1/2 teaspoon jam per cookie.
- Cookies spreading into flat discs? The butter was too warm or the dough too soft; chill the shaped cookies for 15–20 minutes before filling and air frying.
- Pale tops but dark undersides? The parchment is blocking airflow or the basket runs hot from below; trim parchment to fit under the cookies only and reduce to 150°C for the next batch.
- Crumbly cookies cracking when lifted? Almond flour makes them fragile while hot; leave them in the basket for 3–5 minutes before moving to a wire rack with a thin spatula.
Variations & substitutions
- Use apricot or blackcurrant jam instead of raspberry; thicker preserves behave best because runny jam boils and spreads faster in the air fryer.
- Swap 2 tablespoons of plain flour for cocoa powder for a chocolate-almond version; the darker dough browns less visibly, so judge doneness by set edges rather than colour.
- Add finely grated lemon zest to the dough; it does not change the timing, but balances the almond flour’s richness and the sweetness of the jam.
- Use gluten-free plain flour blend in place of all-purpose flour; the cookies will be more delicate, so cool them longer before lifting.
Storage & reheating
Store cooled cookies in an airtight tin for up to 4 days, then refresh in the air fryer at 140°C for 2–3 minutes to restore the edges without re-boiling the jam.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
