Description
These Christmas Thumbprint Cookies feature a crisp buttery exterior with a super soft inside, perfect for holiday cookie boxes. The recipe allows for a variety of custom flavors through different toppings and fillings, making it an easy and versatile treat. Made with both vanilla and chocolate dough, these cookies are simple to prepare with no chill time required and stay soft for days.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar (packed)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour (300g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons dutch processed cocoa powder
Toppings and Fillings
- ½ cup granulated sugar for coating (or your preferred topping such as coarse sugar, powdered sugar, finely chopped roasted nuts, or desiccated coconut)
- ½ cup seedless jam (or your preferred fillings such as lemon curd, fruit curd, hard candies, Nutella, chocolates, or Hershey kisses)
Instructions
- Prepare dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar and beat well until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl to combine evenly.
- Add wet ingredients: Add the salt, egg, and vanilla extract into the butter and sugar mixture. Beat well until light and fluffy.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: Sift the flour and baking powder right into the same bowl. Fold the mixture gently until a cookie dough forms.
- Divide dough and add cocoa: Remove half of the cookie dough and set aside in a separate bowl. Add cocoa powder into the remaining dough and mix gently just until fully incorporated.
- Form cookie balls: Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop the vanilla and chocolate cookie dough, then roll each portion between your hands to form smooth, even balls.
- Coat cookie balls: Roll the cookie dough balls in your choice of topping such as granulated sugar, coarse sugar, powdered sugar, finely chopped roasted nuts, or desiccated coconut.
- Create indentations: Press the center of each cookie ball down with your thumb or a measuring teaspoon to create space for filling. To shape a heart, push an indent with your index finger, then push again at a slight angle.
- Add filling: Fill the indents with jam, lemon curd, fruit curd, or other preferred fillings. For fillings like Nutella or chocolates, add them after baking.
- Bake cookies: Arrange the cookies on a parchment-lined or nonstick cookie sheet with about 2 inches of space between them. Bake at 355°F (180°C) for 10 minutes, avoiding overbaking to maintain softness.
- Finish and cool: After baking, add any additional toppings like Nutella or chocolates into the indentations. Bake in batches and allow cookies to cool completely on a cooling rack before serving.
Notes
- These cookies have crisp buttery outsides and soft interiors, making them perfect for holiday treats.
- No chill time required, making preparation quick and easy.
- You can customize flavors with various fillings and toppings, including jams, curds, nuts, and chocolates.
- The cookies remain soft for days and are sturdy for packaging in cookie boxes.
- For fillings like Nutella or Hershey kisses, add after baking rather than before to prevent melting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cookies
- Calories: 124 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 23 mg
