Hey there! I recently put together a big guide to the tools and supplies a novice baker needs (and what they don’t), which makes for a perfect gift guide for the holidays. If you haven’t checked it out already, take a look! The Ultimate Baking Equipment Gift List for a Novice Baker.
The holidays are probably one of the peak times most people bake cookies, right? I also bake a lot of cookies, but I tend to make them throughout the year, so it’s always funny when my friends are frantically baking hundreds of cookies all at once. Sure, I’d do the same if I was going to a big potluck or something, but I’m usually not.
For all of you who are baking a ton of cookies, I have some suggestions. Today’s chocolate thumbprint cookies are a great option! They’re a simple chocolate cookie, with a divot for chocolate ganache, which stays soft and luscious while the surrounding cookie is firm and crumbly.
If that’s not quite what you’re looking for, I have some others you can try too:
- Jello Cookies
- Chocolate Gingerbread
- Brazilian Sequilhos (Corn Starch Cookies)
- Ginger Snaps
- Snowball Cookies
There’s a lot more than just those on the site, too!
The great news for these chocolate thumbprint cookies is that they’re super simple to make and get ready to go. The downside is, you need space in the fridge to chill them so they hold their shape when you bake, and space is at a premium over the holidays, so plan ahead!
Christmas Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Stand Mixer Optional but it really speeds up the process.
- Cooling Rack
- Sauce Pan
- Piping Bag Optional, to add the ganache to the cookies easily.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1⅓ Cups Flour
- ½ Cup Cocoa Powder
- ½ Tsp Baking Powder
- ¾ Cup Butter Softened
- ¾ Cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ Cup White Sugar
- 2 Egg Yolks Room temperature; save the whites for meringues!
- 1½ Tsp Vanilla Extract
For the Ganache Filling
- 1 Cup Chocolate Chips
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- Festive Sprinkles
Instructions
- Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, stirring to combine.1⅓ Cups Flour, ½ Cup Cocoa Powder, ½ Tsp Baking Powder
- In your mixer's bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.¾ Cup Butter, ¾ Cup Brown Sugar, ¼ Cup White Sugar
- Add in the egg yolks and vanilla and mix until combined.2 Egg Yolks, 1½ Tsp Vanilla Extract
- Add in the flour mixture and beat to combine. Try not to over-mix!
- Roll the cookie dough into balls of about 1 tablespoon each. Arrange these on your baking sheet. Using a spoon (or your thumb, to be traditional), press them in the center to form bowl shapes.
- Chill the cookies for at least an hour. This helps them retain their shape when you bake them.
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes.
- When you remove the cookies, carefully press back in the bowl to ensure it's shaped properly. Use a spoon, or be careful not to burn yourself, and try not to break any of the cookies.
- Let the cookies cool for five or so minutes, then move them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
- In your sauce pan, heat the cream until it's nearly boiling. Remove it from the heat and add in the chocolate chips. Stir until fully melted, mixed, and smooth.1 Cup Chocolate Chips, ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- Fill the cups of your cookies with your ganache. I found using a piping bag was the easiest option. Top the ganache with sprinkles, then chill the cookies for another 15 minutes to firm up the ganache. Enjoy!Festive Sprinkles