Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
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These chocolate thumbprint cookies are a tender, buttery, rich chocolate cookie with a dollop of chocolate ganache in the middle. They’re perfect as a Christmas cookie, but equally delicious all year round.
Thumbprint cookies are an old-fashioned, classic, cookie recipe. Typically, they’re made with a shortbread-esque dough. The cookie dough balls are imprinted with a thumbprint in the middle, then the center is filled with jam.
For these chocolate thumbprint cookies – I decided to make them with a double dose of chocolate. Instead of the traditional buttery vanilla cookie dough, these cookies have a tender chocolate cookie dough that has a rich dark chocolate flavor. The thumbprint in the center is filled with creamy chocolate ganache. I used dark chocolate, but semi-sweet works too.
I like to add sprinkles or crushed candy canes on top of the chocolate middle for decoration, but that’s optional. Of course, these are equally delicious filled with caramel sauce or butterscotch sauce.
Making Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
These cookies aren’t overly difficult to make. However, there are a few key stages and things to note to ensure that the cookies are tender and that they hold their shape as they bake. Freezing the dough is necessary so to keep the thumbprint in the middle – so be sure to allocate enough time.
- Start by sifting together the dry ingredients: flour, Dutch process cocoa, a little baking powder and salt. Then give them a little whisk
- I used Dutch process cocoa for a richer chocolate flavor and a deeper color.
- Note that there is very little baking powder in these cookies and no baking soda. That’s because you don’t want the cookies to rise much. If they rise or spread, then they won’t keep the thumbprint shape.
- Then in a separate large bowl, you’ll beat together the softened (not melted!) butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Beat the egg yolk and vanilla into the butter mixture.
- Note that this recipe uses just an egg yolk. Traditional shortbread doesn’t use eggs. The addition of the egg yolk helps to bind the cookies and makes it easier for the dough to come together. You’ll note that that’s why I said the dough was shortbread-esque. It is not a true shortbread because we’re adding an egg yolk.
- Carefully mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. It should be somewhat difficult to incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. If you squeeze the dough in your hands, it shouldn’t stick to your fingers.
- Cover the dough with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This step is so that the dough isn’t to sticky and is easier to work with. If you find that the dough isn’t too sticky, you can skip this step.
- Form the dough into small balls with about 1 tablespoon of dough each. Roll each into a ball. Then use your finger/thumb or the bottom of a teaspoon (the kind used for measuring) to press a thumbprint into the middle of each cookie, pressing in about half way.
- Freeze the dough balls for at least 30 minutes. If you plan to freeze for longer, be sure to cover the dough balls so that they don’t get freezer burn. After they’re firm in their cookie shape, you can place the frozen dough balls in a freezer bag.
- Freezing the imprinted cookie dough balls is 100% necessary to ensure that the cookies don’t spread and rise. If they spread and/or rise too much, then they will no longer have the imprint in the center to fill with chocolate.
- When ready to bake, you’ll preheat the oven to 350F (180C). The cookie dough balls should be about 1.5 inches apart on lined cookie sheets. (You can either place them on the cookie sheets as you form them into balls, or now).
- You’ll bake 1 cookie sheet at a time in the middle of your preheated oven. They’ll need about 12-14 minutes to bake, or until the tops look just set.
Recipe Tip
After the cookies are baked, if they’ve started to lose the thumbprint in the middle, very carefully use the back of a small measuring spoon to press the indent back into the cookie. The cookies must still be warm and cooling on the cookie sheet.
After the cookies are baked, you’ll make the rich chocolate ganache filling. You’ll heat the cream until almost boiling, then pour it over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. This chocolate ganache uses a little less cream than some recipes so that the filling is thick and sets.
You can then use a piping bag with a small round nozzle to fill each cookie with ganache. I often use a freezer bag with the bottom corner cut off. You could spoon the ganache into the center of each cookie – but I find this gets a little messy.
These chocolate thumbprint cookies are perfectly tender with a rich chocolate flavor and creamy chocolate center. They look beautiful as a Christmas cookie with a few sprinkles or crushed candy canes on top, but are equally delicious all year round for chocolate lovers.
For more chocolate Christmas cookies, be sure to try:
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (140 grams)
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder (34 grams), I recommend Dutch process
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (112 grams), softened, but not starting to melt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (105 grams), packed, I used dark but light works too
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar (67 grams)
- 1 large egg yolk, discard the white
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache Filling
- 4 ounces dark chocolate (112 grams), 50-60% or semi-sweet chocolate
- 1/4 cup whipping cream (60 ml), or heavy cream
Instructions
Chocolate Cookies
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Then whisk until evenly combined.
- In a separate large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined and you no longer see pieces of butter.
- Mix the egg and vanilla into the butter mixture.
- With the mixer on a low speed, carefully mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. The dough should be thick.
- If the dough feels sticky, cover with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes so that it's easier to work with.
- Scoop the dough into balls with about 1 tablespoon of dough each. Roll into balls. Using your thumb or the back of a small measuring teaspoon, press an indent into the middle of each cookie.
- Cover the cookie dough balls and freeze for at least 2 hours. Optionally, frozen cookie dough balls can be placed in a freezer bag (once they are firm enough to hold their shape) and frozen for up to 2 months.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or baking mats. Place the cookies about 1.5 inches (3-4 cm) apart on the lined cookie sheets. Do not thaw the cookies before baking.
- Bake 1 sheet at a time in the middle of the oven for about 11-14 minutes or until the tops look just set.
- Take the cookies out of the and cool on the cookie sheets. If they have started to lose the indent, very gently press the back of a measuring teaspoon into the middle of the cookies. This must be done when they are fresh out of the oven.
Chocolate Ganache
- Finely chop the chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl.
- Heat the cream until almost boiling. This can be done using 30-second intervals in the microwave, or in a double boiler.
- Pour the hot cream over the finely chopped chocolate. Let it sit for about 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
- If the chocolate hasn't fully melted, microwave the bowl (chocolate and cream) for 45-seconds on medium power (do not use high power) then whisk until smooth. Repeat the process until smooth. Alternatively, you can place the bowl on the double boiler over low heat (ensure that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the gently simmering water below).
- Fill the cooled cookies with the chocolate ganache. You can either transfer the ganache to a piping bag with a round nozzle, or transfer to a freezer bag and cut off the bottom corner. You could use a small teaspoon to spoon the ganache into the indent as well – however, I find this to be a bit messier. Optionally, sprinkle the chocolate ganache center with sprinkles or crushed candy canes.
Notes
- Cocoa: I recommend using Dutch process for a richer chocolate flavor and darker color.
- Make Ahead Tips: Once cookies dough balls (with the indent) are frozen enough to keep their shape, they can be placed in a freezer bag and frozen for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, as directed in the recipe.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only and based on 1 cookie, assuming the recipe yields 20 uniform cookies and all the ganache is used. You may not need all of the ganache
This recipe made my cookies come out all flat. I did everything according to recipe, waited long amounts of time just for these cookies to come out the way that they did. Very disappointed because they looked so good! Glad they worked for you, but they didn’t work for me!