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close up picture of chocolate thumbprint cookie with chocolate ganache decorated with crushed freeze dried strawberry. a bite has been taken out of the cookie

Best Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies Recipe


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.7 from 6 reviews

  • Author: Zoha
  • Total Time: 90 min with cooling
  • Yield: 26 small cookies

Description

Decadent and chewy chocolate cookies filled with a rich, silky chocolate ganache - they are delicious, easy and so fun!


Ingredients

Chocolate Cookies:

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (170g or 12 tbsp), softened at room temp
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (195g)
  • 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder (50g)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Chocolate Ganache:

  • 150g semi-sweet chocolate 
  • 75g heavy cream (about 1/3 cup)

Serving:

  • Crushed freeze dried strawberries for decoration; optional

Instructions

Chocolate Cookies:

  • Whisk the softened butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until the mixture looks really light and fluffy, scraping the bowl at least twice in the middle
  • Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla, and whisk again until the ingredients are combined. Scrape the bowl again
  • Sift and mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2-3 batches, folding gently with a rubber spatula. Try not to overmix the dough and stop as soon as the dry ingredients are combined. The result should be a soft but workable cookie dough
  • Line 1-2 large baking sheets with parchment paper
  • Shape the cookie dough into 25g balls, about 1" in diameter each. This should make about ~26 balls. Use minimal pressure to make the balls and remove any cracks from the surface, but don't over work them as that will cause them to become greasy
  • Place the balls on the lined baking sheets, keeping about 2" between each
  • Use the back of a 1/2 teaspoon measure (or something of similar size; it should be a round shape that is smaller than the size of the cookie ball) to press "thumbprints" into each cookie ball. This will also naturally flatten each ball slightly. You can use your thumbs but it is easier and more consistent with a spoon measure
  • Place the sheets in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes (or ~15 min in the freezer). In the meanwhile, work on the chocolate ganache (see below)
  • In the last 15 minutes of chilling, pre-heat the oven to 375F (conventional, no fan)
  • Once the cookie balls have chilled and oven has pre-heated, bake the cookies for ~9-11 minutes. 9 min will yield softer, chewier cookies while they will be firmer at 11 minutes. I baked mine for 10 minutes, and strongly recommend baking one cookie as a test first
  • As soon as the cookies are out of the oven and are still hot, use a larger spoon measure (like 1 tbsp) to press down gently on the cookies again. They puff up and partly lose the thumbprint in the oven, so this step helps bring it back
  • Let them cool at room temperature for 10 minutes

Chocolate Ganache:

  • Add the chopped chocolate / chips to a bowl
  • Heat the cream until it just starts to simmer. Pour over the chocolate, making sure the chocolate is covered in the cream. Cover and wait 5 minutes
  • Gently stir until the chocolate fully melts and a smooth, shiny chocolate ganache forms. Let it cool and thicken up at room temperature while you bake the cookies

Assembly & serving:

  • Once the cookies and ganache have both cooled down, fill each cookie generously with the ganache. I just do this with a spoon
  • Let them rest for ~30 or so minutes so the ganache can set more
  • Decorate however you like; I used crushed freeze dried strawberries
  • Serve & enjoy!

Video Tutorial:

 

Notes

  • I highly recommend baking one cookie as a test first, and letting it cool down. This will help you decide exactly how long you should bake to achieve the texture you want
  • It is important to press down on the cookies quickly after baking them while they're still hot to make the thumbprints again. They are still soft when they're hot so you can gently alter their shape
  • Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days
  • Prep Time: 40 min
  • Cook Time: 10 min
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American