Candy Thumbprint Cookies Recipes

THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light in color and fluffy. You should be able to see the change in color happen and know it's ready.
• Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix until well combined after each.
• Add the vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
• Add the flour and salt and mix until the dough is just well combined. Do not over mix.
• Create 1 1/2 tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Gently roll into a ball, then roll in additional sugar (if using), then set the balls on the baking sheet.
• Use the end of a spatula, your thumb or the bottom of a measuring spoon to press the centers of the cookies down. Do this immediately after rolling them to help prevent the cookies from cracking.
• Fill the centers with jam. I used roughly 1/2 teaspoon per cookie.
• Bake cookies for 10-13 minutes or until the edges JUST begin to brown. You don't want to overbake them and have dry cookies.
• Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then move to a cooling rack to finishing cooling.

CANDY THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy; add sugar, beating well. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition; add vanilla, beating until blended.
• In small bowl, mix flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Cover; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls 2 inches apart. Press thumb into each ball, forming indentation.
• Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until set. (Tops of cookies will not be brown.) Immediately press desired topping in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

PERFECT THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix butter and powdered sugar together with a rubber spatula until creamy. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, salt, and egg yolk. Mix with the spatula. Add flour and blend until just combined.
• Use a sorbet scoop to portion dough into 1/2-ounce (1-tablespoon) balls. Roll balls in a plate of white sugar to coat; roll again between your palms. Place several inches apart on a silicone-lined baking sheet. Flatten balls lightly with your fingers.
• To make shortbread cookies with a little jam, poke a well into each cookie using the end of a thick wooden spoon dusted with powdered sugar or using one of your fingers. Fill cookies with fruit jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter to let jam settle.
• Bake in the preheated oven until tops are barely blonde and bottoms are slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack before icing.
• Meanwhile, mix powdered sugar with a little milk until you have a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. Pipe icing on top of cookies in a zigzag pattern. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.
• For a more jam-forward cookie, press your thumb into the cookies to make large, shallow indentations. Spoon in jam. Tap baking sheet against the counter.
• Bake until not quite golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let rest on pan for 5 minutes before transferring a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, add the milk, and mix on low until combined. The cookie dough will be thick.
• Roll balls of dough, a little less than 1 Tablespoon each (about 1 inch balls), and roll each into remaining 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar. Place dough balls onto a large lined baking sheet. Using your thumb or the end of a spatula (see post above), make an indent into each cookie. If you find that the balls are cracking when you make an indent, use your hands to push back together. (Some cracks are bound to happen as the cookies expand in the oven- see my photos. No worries there!)
• Chill the shaped cookies for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator or 1 hour in the freezer (or up to 4 days in the refrigerator). Cover them if chilling for longer than 3 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Remove chilled and shaped cookies from the refrigerator. Divide between both baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 2-3 inches apart. This recipe yields about 30 cookies, so you'll have a 3rd batch with only a few cookies on the sheet.
• Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are set. The cookies will still look and feel a little soft. Remove from the oven. The indents will have lost some shape or have puffed up, so use the end of a spatula to make an indent again into the warm cookies.
• Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling with ganache.
• Place chocolate into a heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil- that's too hot!) Pour over chocolate and let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. Slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Stir in the peppermint extract. Taste and add another drop if desired. (It's potent so don't go overboard!) Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before spooning into cookies.
• Spoon 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of ganache into each indentation. I fit about 3/4 teaspoon into each. Sprinkle ganache with crushed candy canes. Ganache will thicken inside the cookies and set on the tops after a few hours, but will still be creamy when you bite into the cookies.
• Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.