Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
The perfect Christmas cookie! These Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are made of a buttery vanilla cookie and filled with a bourbon-infused chocolate ganache. Simple, but decadent!
Servings 30 cookies
Calories 166kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
- ⅓ cup (70 g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar tightly packed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract*
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste** optional
- 2 ¼ cup (280 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (100 g) coarse sugar for rolling turbinado or organic cane sugar both work well
Chocolate Bourbon Ganache
- 1 cup (175 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- ½ Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) bourbon optional
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Using an electric mixer, beat butter until well creamed.1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.⅓ cup (70 g) sugar, ⅓ cup (70 g) light brown sugar
- Add egg yolk, vanilla extract, and vanilla paste (if using), and stir well, pausing to scrape down the sides and mixing until ingredients are well-combined.1 large egg yolk, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract*, ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste**
- Add flour, gradually (about ½ cup at a time), pausing to scrape down sides of bowl. Halfway through the addition of the flour, sprinkle in the salt with the beater still running.2 ¼ cup (280 g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
- Roll cookie dough into approximately 1" balls and roll through the coarse sugar until completely covered in sugar. Place on a wax paper lined plate and use your thumb to create an indent/crater in the center.1/2 cup (100 g) coarse sugar for rolling
- Transfer cookie dough balls to freezer and chill for at least 30 minutes (this will keep cookies from spreading too much).
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and prepare a cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper (if you don't have parchment paper, just use an ungreased cookie sheet).
- Once oven is preheated, remove cookie dough from freezer and transfer to prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 1 ½" apart. Bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove from oven and immediately use a rounded teaspoon to re-indent the thumbprints, if needed.
- Allow cookies to cool while you prepare the ganache filling.
- Combine chocolate chips, heavy cream, and butter in a small saucepan over medium-heat. Stir frequently until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth.1 cup (175 g) semisweet chocolate chips, ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream, ½ Tablespoon unsalted butter
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, bourbon, and salt. Stir well.1 teaspoon (5 ml) bourbon, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- Allow mixture to sit and cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
- Use a spoon to pour chocolate ganache into the crater of each prepared thumbprint cookie. Ganache will set after about 1 hour at room temperature or you can put them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to speed up the process (cookies taste best at room temperature though).
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 52mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 236IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg