Chocolate with mint is a classic holiday flavor combo and these Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies are soft, tender and a bit fudgy with a thick smooth and creamy peppermint white chocolate ganache in the middle, topped with crushed peppermint candy. They are so festive and fun and really delicious. You'd be hard-pressed to see a holiday cookie platter without a batch of thumbprint cookies, so here's one to beat them all, and you can use the base for many other variations with different kinds of filling.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Easy to make - these cookies come together quickly and you have have them ready from start to finish in under an hour.
- Fudgy chocolate cookies - the cookies are soft and tender and a bit fudgy like a cross between a cookie and a brownie thanks to melted chocolate in the cookie dough.
- Creamy white chocolate ganache - simple white chocolate ganache is infused with peppermint extract and it's so thick, cool and creamy.
- Peppermint candy - you can use candy cane or round peppermint candies. Anything will do! Just place it in a zip-top bag and crush it with the back of a heavy knife or use the bottom of a heavy pot.
INGREDIENTS
Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Dark chocolate - you'll need melted dark chocolate for the cookie dough and anything between 55 and 70% cocoa solids will work. I prefer Bittersweet Chocolate to complement the sweet white chocolate filling. These bittersweet chocolate callets are very convenient.
- Unsalted butter - you can also use salted butter, but then you should omit the added salt.
- All purpose flour - regular all purpose flour is perfect to make cookies.
- Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to enhance the flavor of the chocolate. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
- Granulated sugar - simple fine white granulated sugar keeps these cookies soft, and there's not a ton of it because I want these cookies to have rich buttery chocolate taste almost like shortbread.
- Egg - 1 egg yolk will provide just a bit of the structure to these tender cookies.
- White chocolate – pure white chocolate adds sweet milky creaminess to carry the cool peppermint flavor.
- Whipping cream - you will need heavy whipping cream with minimum 35% milk fat to make this ganache, although I've also made it with 10% half and half cream.
- Peppermint candy – you can use any type of peppermint candy or candy cane that you have handy.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1). Melt chocolate. In a large bowl over a pot with ½-inch of simmering water, melt the chocolate until smooth and glossy. You can also use the microwave with frequent stirring.
- STEP 2). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
- STEP 3). Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until light and fluffy. Mix in yolk and vanilla extract.
- STEP 4). Add melted chocolate. Stir through melted chocolate. Add flour mixture and fold it in until just incorporated.
- STEP 5). Chill the dough. Form the dough into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
- STEP 6). Shape the dough. Slice the chilled log into 16 equal portions. Roll each portion of dough into smooth balls and place onto prepared baking sheets spacing them about 2 inches apart. Use your thumb or a dowel (such as the back end of a wooden spoon) or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon to create a well in the center of each cookie. Once you’ve made the impression with the dowel, move it around inside the well to open up the space to make room for lots of filling.
- STEP 7). Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven and transfer trays to a wire rack and reinforce the indents again. Let cool completely on trays as these cookies are delicate when warm.
- STEP 8). Make the filling. Combine chopped white chocolate, cream and peppermint extract in a small saucepan over very low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Spoon the filling into the wells of the cooled cookies, sprinkle crushed peppermint over top and refrigerate until set.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Stir the ganache gently - if you whip the ganache it will incorporate air and can cause it to split or separate, so just stir gently once you add the hot cream.
- Use pure white chocolate. Yes, there's a difference! Compound white chocolate is mainly composed of vegetable oils other than cocoa butter (such as other hydrogenated oils) and it has an inferior taste. Inexpensive real white chocolate has a higher sugar content and less cocoa butter so it is very stiff when melted. If you get high quality white chocolate, it will melt so smoothly and be nice and fluid.
- Measure the baking soda accurately. You just need ⅛ teaspoon to help these spread and give them a softer texture. If you use too much, they will spread too much and the cookies will loose their shape with the indent.
- Watch the baking time. Check after 10 minutes - the cookies will look dry when ready but they will still feel a bit soft.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the tray. These cookies are very delicate while warm so let them cool sufficiently before transferring.
RECIPE FAQ
I use dark chocolate with 60-70% cocoa solids which makes perfectly chocolaty cookies. If yo use semisweet chocolate, they will be slightly sweeter but it will still work here.
The main reasons why these would turn out dry is if they are over-baked, over-mixed, or you used too much flour.
These cookies are baked when they look dry and cracked at the surface. They will still be soft but they will set as they cool.
These cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week.
This combination is so great at this time of year and you can tell I'm pushing for it 😉 Funny thing is I actually do not like mint infused chocolate! Ha! BUT, I do like the combination of pure chocolate combined with a peppermint something... just don't put too much peppermint throughout my actual chocolate something. Does that make sense?
I really hope you make these because not only are they delicious, but they are so quick and simple to put together!
Big love to you.
xo
Christina.
Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
- 2 oz 56g bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa), coarsely chopped
- 1 cup 142g all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup 21g cocoa powder (I prefer this one)
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup 113g unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup 100g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the filling:
- 4 ½ oz 125g white chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoon 22ml 35% whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon pure peppermint extract
Instructions
- Make the cookie dough. Melt chocolate gently in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water or in the microwave with short bursts and frequent stirring. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until light and fluffy. Mix in yolk and vanilla extract. Stir through melted chocolate. Add flour mixture and fold it in until just incorporated.
- Form the dough into an 11 to 12-inch log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice the chilled log into 16 equal portions. Roll each portion of dough into smooth balls and place onto prepared baking sheets spacing them about 2 inches apart. Use your thumb or a dowel (such as the back end of a wooden spoon) or a ¼ teaspoon measuring spoon to press down on the dough balls to create an indent. I prefer the back of a wooden spoon to create a deep well. Once you’ve made the impression with the dowel, move it around inside the well to open up the space to make room for lots of filling. If the dough cracks, press and patch it back with your fingers.
- Place the baking sheet in the fridge and chill the prepared indented dough balls for 20 minutes. You can chill all the dough together on one baking sheet and then separate it out on multiple baking sheets when ready to bake). Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven and transfer trays to a wire rack and lightly press down on the centers again with a ¼ teaspoon to reinforce the indents again as they may have lost their indent a little as they baked.
- Let cool completely on trays as these cookies are delicate when warm.
- Make the filling. Combine chopped white chocolate, cream and peppermint extract in a small saucepan over very low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Spoon the filling into the wells of the cooled cookies, sprinkle crushed peppermint over top and refrigerate until set.
Leave a Comment and Rating