Description
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are a delightful invitation to pure indulgence. These tender, rich chocolate cookies feature a surprise burst of creamy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate ganache in their center.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (40 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated white sugar
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (200 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (for filling)
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream (for filling)
- Nonpareils, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment. In a stand mixer, cream softened unsalted butter with light brown sugar and granulated white sugar for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla extract until well combined (1-2 minutes).
- In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, Dutch process cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed, mixing just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
- If the dough is very soft or your kitchen is warm, chill the dough for 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator to prevent spreading.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into 1-inch smooth balls. Place them 1-2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Gently press your thumb or the back of a small measuring spoon into the center of each dough ball to create a shallow indentation. If edges crack, gently reshape them.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350°F (175°C) until the edges are set and lightly firm, but the centers still look slightly soft.
- Remove baking sheets from the oven and let cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While cookies cool, finely chop semi-sweet chocolate chips and place them in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat heavy whipping cream until it just begins to simmer around the edges. Do not boil vigorously.
- Immediately pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. Then, gently stir from the center outwards with a whisk or spatula until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth, glossy, and emulsified.
- Allow the ganache to cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, or refrigerate briefly (stirring every 5-10 minutes), until it has thickened enough to hold its shape when filled into the cookies.
- Once cookies are completely cool and the ganache is thickened, spoon or pipe the chocolate ganache generously into each cookie indentation.
- Optionally, sprinkle nonpareils (or other desired toppings like flaky sea salt) over the wet ganache.
- Allow the filled cookies to sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until the ganache is fully set.
Notes
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg