It is Christmas cookie baking time and thumbprint cookies are the perfect choice.
Thumbprints are the gems of the cookie kingdom.
Thumbprint Cookies
Makes 18 small cookies.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup coconut, shredded (optional)
- 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped fine (optional)
- If making jelly-filled: 4 ounces raspberry jelly – pairs well with coconut
- If making chocolate filled: 1 recipe Chocolate Filling (recipe below) – pairs well with walnuts
Cream together butter and sugar. Add salt and vanilla. Mix well. Then add flour. Combine until it becomes a nice dough. Scoop using a cookie scoop.
If desired, roll each cookie dough ball in walnuts or coconut.
Place cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Press down centers with thumb or back of cookie scoop while taking care to not let edges crack (so that filling will remain in the middle later) or for “thumbprint” to go down too deep (to prevent cookies from breaking easily from being too weak in the middle).
Fill the coconut cookies with jelly before baking.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, fill the walnut ones with the chocolate. Do not remove them from the tray until they have cooled. If you pick them up while they are hot, they will crumble.
Chocolate Frosting Filling
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or 70-80% high-quality chocolate
- 3 tablespoons hot water
- 8 ounces powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave or in a double boiler. Whisk in butter until it’s fully melted. Whisk in hot water. After they are well-combined and saucy, stir in powdered sugar. Add salt and whisk until frosting is smooth. If frosting becomes firm before using, just microwave for 20-second intervals and stir in between each one until it becomes easy to work with, and then place it in a decorating bag right before using.