Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies with Gooey Jam Centers

These chocolate thumbprint cookies are tender, buttery, and richly chocolatey, filled with a dollop of chocolate ganache in the center. They make a beautiful Christmas cookie but are delicious any time of year.

Thumbprint cookies are a classic, old-fashioned treat, traditionally made with a shortbread-like dough and filled with jam. For this version, I doubled down on chocolate: the dough itself is a tender chocolate cookie with deep dark-chocolate flavor, and the center is filled with a creamy chocolate ganache. I used dark chocolate for the ganache, but semi-sweet works well too.

If you like, top the ganache with sprinkles or crushed candy canes for a festive touch. You can also fill the cookies with salted caramel or butterscotch sauce as alternatives.

Making Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

The method is straightforward, but a few key steps will help the cookies stay tender and keep their thumbprint shape. Freezing the shaped dough is essential, so allow enough time for that.

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, Dutch-process cocoa, a little baking powder, and salt.
   • Using Dutch-process cocoa gives a richer flavor and darker color.
   • This recipe uses very little baking powder and no baking soda so the cookies don’t rise or spread; that preserves the thumbprint.
2. In a separate large bowl, beat the softened (not melted) butter with the brown and granulated sugars until smooth and combined.

3. Beat the egg yolk and vanilla into the butter-sugar mixture.
   • The single egg yolk helps bind the dough and makes it easier to form; this gives a shortbread-like texture but is not a true shortbread.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture on low speed. The dough should be thick; when squeezed it shouldn’t stick to your fingers.

5. If the dough feels sticky, cover it with plastic and chill for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle. Skip this step if the dough is already easy to work with.
6. Portion the dough into small balls—about 1 tablespoon each—and roll smooth. Press an indent into the center of each ball using your thumb or the back of a measuring teaspoon, pushing about halfway in.

7. Freeze the shaped dough balls for at least 30 minutes, though the recipe notes recommend freezing for 2 hours for best results. Cover them if freezing longer to prevent freezer burn. Once firm, you can transfer them to a freezer bag for longer storage.
   • Freezing is necessary so the cookies keep their indent and don’t spread while baking.
8. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Place the dough balls about 1.5 inches apart on lined cookie sheets.
9. Bake one sheet at a time on the middle rack for 11–14 minutes, until the tops look just set.

While the cookies cool, make the ganache. Heat the cream until just about to boil, pour it over finely chopped chocolate, let it sit a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. This recipe uses slightly less cream for a thicker ganache that sets nicely in the cookie centers.

Fill each cooled cookie indent with ganache using a piping bag or a freezer bag with the corner snipped off. You can spoon the ganache in, but piping is cleaner and more precise. Optionally, finish with sprinkles or crushed candy cane pieces.

These chocolate thumbprint cookies are tender, deeply chocolatey, and have a smooth, creamy ganache center. They look festive with a few sprinkles or crushed candy canes but are equally satisfying any time for chocolate lovers.