Double Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are a wonderful way to boost your holiday baking or when making treats any time of the year. When you fill them with chocolate ganache, they become a chocoholic’s dream dessert.
Traditional thumbprint cookies are usually filled with jam, often raspberry. You can use that with these cookies too if you prefer, just swap out the chocolate and substitute your favorite jam.
The Artist adores cookies, especially little single or double bite sized. He loves popping these in his mouth for instantaneous chocolate satisfaction and pure delight!
Indentation made by the handle of a wooden spoon
While these are traditionally called thumbprint cookies, I have found that using your thumb doesn’t work as well, especially when you have long nails like I do. I prefer using the handle of a wooden spoon or the back of a rounded measuring spoon to get the indentation in the cookies.
Guittard Bittersweet Chocolate for the ganache
While they are baking, the indentations will mostly fill in, so as soon as you bring them out of the oven, immediately re-press the centers being careful not to touch the hot baking sheet!
These cookies are great any time of the year and would also be a wonderful addition to your holiday baking projects. It is always a good idea to do a practice run and get comfortable with the recipe before making it for a party or gathering. That is a great excuse to make these babies!
I hope you make these delightful little Double Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies with Chocolate Ganache centers. They are guaranteed to thrill all the chocoholics in your life!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you!
Key Ingredients for Double Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies:
- Flour or gluten-free flour blend, cocoa powder, salt, butter
- Sugar, egg yolk, heavy whipping cream, vanilla, chocolate chips
PRO Tip:
When you are going to be handling (in this case rolling) chocolate dough, do yourself a favor and wear plastic or latex gloves. You’ll get them messy and covered with chocolate and then can pull them off and throw them away when you are done. I use them when I’m making pies too – a great time saver!
How to make Double Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies:
- Make the Cookies: Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside
- Cream the butter and sugar until pale and smooth, then add the yolk, cream, and vanilla; gradually beat in the dry ingredients
- Scoop dough into 1 teaspoon portions and roll into balls; place 2-inches apart on parchment-covered baking sheets and press an indentation into the center of each one
- Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes (watch carefully), remove from the oven and re-press the indentations back down; wait a few minutes and then slide the parchment with the cookies from the baking sheet to a wire cooling rack and let cool, repeat with remaining dough
- Make the Ganache: While cookies are cooling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl; heat the cream until simmering then pour it over the chocolate, let sit a few minutes to start melting, then stir until thick and creamy and completely incorporated
- Assemble the Cookies: Set aside to cool to room temperature and thicken up; when cool enough to easily handle, scoop into a piping bag and press down into the tip (or you can use two spoons)
- Cut a small hole in the point of the piping bag and pipe (or spoon) the ganache into the centers of each cookie and set aside to firm up
PRO Tip:
Weighing dry ingredients, especially with gluten-free baking, will make a huge difference in the quality and consistency of your baked goods. Try weighing something in ounces and the same thing in grams and you will see how much difference there is. I always use grams for much more exact measuring. See the note under “Gluten Free Tips” for specific info about measuring flours.
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Gluten-Free Tips:
You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. This recipe was written using this flour blend. If using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup, level off the top with a straight edge, and weigh the flour. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
Double Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies (Gluten Free)
Double Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are a wonderful way to boost your holiday baking or when making treats any time of the year. When you fill them with chocolate ganache, they become a chocoholic's dream dessert.
Ingredients
- Cookies
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend
- 10 tbsp (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick; 113 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ganache
- 6 oz (170 g) finely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
- 3/4 cup (6 oz; 177ml) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Make the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Scrape the bowl and beater. Reduce speed to low and add the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla. Scrape the bowl again. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Scoop dough into rounded 1 teaspoon portions and roll into small balls. Place 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets. With the end of a thick-handled wooden spoon or the back of a rounded measuring spoon, gently press an indentation into the center of each cookie. Do not press all the way to the baking sheet – you need a bottom to hold the filling.
- Bake until the cookies are just set, about 10 minutes. The depressions tend to puff up a bit as they bake, so as soon as they're out of the oven, press down the center again.
- Slide the parchment with the cookies onto wire cooling racks and let cool. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Prepare the Ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the cream until it begins to gently simmer with bubbles around the edges and a few breaking in the center. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate then let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes to soften.
- Starting in the center of the bowl, gently stir with a spoon or spatula, blending the chocolate with the cream. Stir until the entire bowl is thick and creamy without any streaks and all the cream has been incorporated. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Assemble the Cookies: When cooled enough to easily handle and slightly thickened, pour the ganache into a piping bag or plastic bag and twist it shut. Holding it upright (with the tip in the air) snip off a small piece of the tip. Spoon or pipe about 1/4 tsp ganache into the center of each cookie.
- To Make Ahead: Ganache will store up to 5 days, covered in the refrigerator. Return to room temperature before filling the cookies. Baked cookies will hold up to 1 week, refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Recipe Source: The Heritage Cook
Notes
Adapted from a recipe on myrecipes.com.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
40Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 44Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 19mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g
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Alene
Thank you! I have been craving something chocolate lately so maybe I’ll make these. I have been attempting to change all my home-made gf flour recipes and not having a lot of luck. I’ve already thrown out one cake. If you can believe it, I got arsenic poisoning from all the rice I eat! Thank goodness I noticed something was wrong with me and I went for a blood test. Really, really scary. I will let you know how the change worked when I use it. Thank you again!
Jane Bonacci
Thank heavens for good doctors, I hope you are feeling better now! If you like, I can try to help you with your recipes. Let me know and I can help you create a rice-free flour blend to try out if you like.
Alene
I’m not sure if I asked you this already, but what can I substitute for the sweet rice flour in your whole grain batch that starts with millet? I can no longer eat any rice at all. So now gluten free and rice free too. Thank you.
Jane Bonacci
Hi Alene – Sorry you can’t have rice anymore, that makes it harder. I think I would use half tapioca starch and half sorghum. That should give you something similar to the original. You may have to make some adjustments with liquids to get the right consistency, but you’ll figure it out. Let me know if I can help you with any of the conversions or anything else! Good Luck!!!