Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies with Peppermint Candy Kisses

Preperation time
20 m
Skills level

Serving size
26 cookies
Country of origin

Preparation time: 20 m
Cooking time: 14 minutes m
Servings: 26 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 stick salted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling cookie balls
  • 1 tablespoon cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or peppermint extract)
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa DARK powder (this will ensure cookie is a dark chocolate color)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 bag Hershey's peppermint kisses
  • stand mixer with paddle attachment
Recipe Type:
Course:

I’ve seen many chocolate thumbprint cookie recipes that contain only cocoa powder (be sure it’s dark by the way!), but the addition of melted semi-sweet chocolate chips gives this cookie a fudgy texture that will keep you coming back for more. These are a great holiday cookie for a cookie exchange because they are delicious and eye-catching. Be sure to freeze the candy kisses in advance of making this recipe. This way they won’t melt too much when you press them into the warm-from-the-oven cookies.

In the stand mixer bowl, mix together butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Then add the cream cheese, vanilla, honey, and premixed egg and blend until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and mix until smooth.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients: the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda and mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated. The dough should be a dark chocolate color.

Note: if you use regular cocoa powder the dough will not be as dark.

Chill the dough for 30 minutes to one hour. Roll into cookie balls, about 1 heaping tablespoon each. Roll in granulated sugar and place onto a 2 parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, turn pan and bake an additional 3-4 minutes. Bake one tray of cookies at a time.

Press in the frozen peppermint kisses.

These are 10 out of 10. For more holiday cookie recipes check out my cookbook, Gather For The Holidays available on Amazon. There are over 10 cookie recipes in that book plus the desserts.