These chocolate thumbprint cookies are an irresistible treat that’s perfect for all your holiday parties. Sweet sugar cookies are covered with bright red and green sprinkles and topped with a rich and creamy chocolate ganache. It’s a fun and festive cookie that’s both beautiful and incredibly delicious.
Sugar cookies are always popular, but these chocolate thumbprint cookies take the classic dessert up a notch with the addition of a creamy chocolate topping, which pairs perfectly with the rich and buttery cookie. You’ll use your thumb to make the perfect size indentation in the center of each cookie and fill it with the sweet chocolate ganache.
Like any great holiday cookie, this one looks as good as it tastes, so it will be right at home at a fancy Christmas dinner and would even make a great gift. You’ll find plenty of reasons to make this festive and delicious cookie recipe all season long.
💗 Why We Love This Recipe
- The pretty Christmas colors on these cookies make them an ideal treat for the holiday season – they’re great for parties or a cookie swap.
- The combination of a sugar cookie and a rich chocolate truffle center is like getting two delicious treats in one!
- Add some pretty packaging and these cookies will make perfect holiday gifts.
- Chocolate lovers will go nuts for the silky ganache center of these cookies.
- It’s an easy recipe that will wow a crowd with its fancy appearance and decadent taste.
Recommended Tools
- Whisk
- Electric mixer
- Microwave safe bowls
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cup (microwave safe)
- Measuring spoons
- Cookie sheet
- Parchment paper
🛒 Ingredients
For the cookies:
- Sweet cream butter, room temp
- Light brown sugar, packed
- Large eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- All purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Christmas sprinkles
For the filling:
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Heavy cream
- Light corn syrup
- Instant coffee
🥄 How to Make Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Heat oven to 325 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Step One: Make Dough and Form Into Balls
- Combine flour, baking soda, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together using an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed for one minute or until light and fluffy.
- Combine eggs, almond extract, and vanilla extract with the butter mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
- Shape dough into balls, using a rounded teaspoon of dough per ball.
Step Two: Roll Dough in Sprinkles
- Pour the Christmas sprinkles into a small bowl and roll each cookie dough ball in the sprinkles until completely covered.
- Place the cookie balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Step Three: Make Indentation in Dough
- Make a small indentation in the center of each ball with your thumb.
- Bake the cookies at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes, then set aside to cool on a wire rack.
Step Three: Make the Chocolate Filling
- Add chocolate chips to a microwave safe medium bowl and set aside.
- Add heavy cream to a microwave safe measuring cup and heat until boiling.
- Once the cream is boiling, remove from the microwave immediately, add the instant coffee and stir.
- Pour the cream mixture into the bowl of chocolate chips and whisk together until the chocolate is melted.
- Once the chocolate has melted, slowly stir in the corn syrup in ½ teaspoon increments then set aside to cool.
- Wait until the chocolate has completely cooled, then use a spoon to fill the thumbprints with chocolate.
Tips and Suggestions
- If the chocolate begins to cool too quickly, you can heat it in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds to soften it up.
- For best results, be sure to start with softened butter when creaming the butter and sugar together – it will help your cookies to rise.
- Never pack the flour into the cup when measuring. You’ll get too much flour, which can result in a tough or dry cookie.
- Use a small cookie scoop to measure your dough when forming the dough balls – this will ensure that your cookies are all the same size.
Variations
- Change the color of the sprinkles to coincide with the season and you can use this recipe all year long.
- Instead of chocolate, fill the dimples with assorted fruit preserves before baking for a fruity alternative to the thumbprint cookies.
- Use white chocolate instead of dark to make the ganache center.
- Sprinkle a pinch or sea salt on top of the chocolate just before it has hardened.
How Do I Store Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies?
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. You can toss half a slice of bread in with the cookies to absorb moisture and keep them fresh.
Can I Freeze Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies?
You can freeze them in a freezer bag, but they will retain their taste and texture a bit better if you wrap them individually with plastic wrap before putting them in the freezer bag.
🍪 More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Christmas Wreath Cornflake Cookies
- Chewy Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Pinwheel Sugar Cookies
- Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies
- Peanut butter balls
Holiday Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies:
- ½ C sweet cream butter room temp
- 1 C light brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp almond extract
- 2 ½ C all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups Christmas sprinkles
Filling:
- 1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ C heavy cream
- 1 ½ Tbsp light corn syrup
- 1 ½ tsp instant coffee
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
For the Cookies
- Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt over a medium bowl.
- Pour the 1 ½ tablespoons of Christms sprinkles in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream the two together for about 1 minute. The mixture will be light and fluffy.
- Mix in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extracts. Mix until well blended.
- Add in the flour mixture. Mix until combined. (the dough will be thick)
- Use a teaspoon to make rounded cookie dough. Measure a rounded teaspoon of dough and round each into a ball. Measure all of the dough into balls. Roll each dough ball in the bowl of Christmas sprinkles.. Place each dough ball on the lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Use your thumb to make a slight indentation in the center of each cookie.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until a light golden brown.
For the Filling
- Pour the chocolate chips in a microwave proof bowl. Set aside. P
- our the heavy cream into a heat safe measuring cup. Microwave until boiling or 2-3 minutes.
- Carefully remove the cup from the microwave,
- Add the instant coffee while the heavy cream is boiling. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the mixture over the bowl of chocolate chips.
- Set the bowl aside for about 5 minutes.
- Use a whisk to slowly mix the chocolate with the hot cream. (If needed you can microwave the chocolate for another 10 seconds to completely melt it.)
- Once the chocolate chips have melted, stir in the corn syrup at ½ teaspoon at a time. Set aside to cool completely. Use a teaspoon to fill the indentations in each cookie. Serve. .
Nutrition
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