Chocolate Ganache Vanilla Thumbprint Cookies
Tender and buttery vanilla thumbprint cookies with a semi-sweet creamy chocolate ganache filling. An easy cookie recipe that’s perfect for holiday parties or when you want something a little more sophisticated than a chocolate chip cookie.
time commitment: 2 hours total, 1 hour inactive time
special equipment: stand mixer with paddle attachment, small cookie scoop, rimmed baking sheet, heat-proof bowl, small sauce pan, heat source
yield: 20 cookies
Thumbprint cookies always make me think of holiday parties and exchanging Christmas gifts. I love the texture of a super tender cookie with the barest crunch contrasting with a smooth, flavorful filling, whether that be chocolate ganache, jelly, or a puddle of icing.
A thumbprint cookie is exactly what it sounds like: a cookie that has a dip or divot in the middle (typically made by pressing your thumb into the dough before it bakes, but I recommend using the back of a teaspoon for the most consistent results) that is then filled with some sort of extra component after the cookies have cooled.
These vanilla cookies make an excellent base for many different types of fillings, but I wanted to experiment with chocolate ganache and found that the process is actually super easy and straightforward!
You can make these easy cookies, no problem.
What’s In This Post
- What You Will Need: Ingredients & Equipment
- How to Make Chocolate Ganache Vanilla Thumbprint Cookies
- What to Do with Extra Chocolate Ganache
- How to Store Chocolate Ganache Vanilla Thumbprint Cookies
What You Need to Make Chocolate Ganache Vanilla Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients for Chocolate Ganache Vanilla Thumbprints
The ingredient list for these chocolate ganache vanilla thumbprint cookies is pretty simple and uses standard baking ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
- Powdered Sugar: we’re not using granulated or brown sugar in these cookies. Powdered sugar is the key to getting that super tender texture with just the barest crunch on the exterior. It makes the cookies really shine.
- Kosher Salt: the cookie dough and the chocolate ganache are both sweet, so we want to make sure salt is present in order to keep that sweetness in balance.
- Unsalted Butter: I almost always opt for unsalted butter in my recipes so I can take full control of how the flavors are balanced.
- An Egg: I use large eggs and it doesn’t matter if it’s room temperature or not.
- Vanilla Extract: what’s a cookie without Vanilla Extract? It gives these cookies a really beautiful flavor that plays well with the ganache.
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: I almost exclusively use King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (not sponsored, I wish) for all of my baking, but use whatever all-purpose flour you have on hand or can afford.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: I tried making ganache with fancy bar chocolate of several different cocoa levels and in the end, using semi-sweet chocolate chips created the most consistently smooth result. So yay, this means you don’t have to chop up any chocolate!
- Heavy Whipping Cream: do not substitute with regular milk. We want the richness and fat from the heavy cream in order to get that creamy ganache texture. Using a different milk will throw off the ganache.
I tested the ganache for these chocolate ganache vanilla thumbprint cookies several different ways with a few different styles/types of chocolate. I ended up using semi-sweet chocolate chips as they would be the easiest for you to work with, easy to find in the store, and not too bitter to share.
Special Equipment
To make these chocolate ganache vanilla thumbprint cookies, you’ll need:
- a stand mixer with the paddle attachment
- a flexible spatula to scrape down the bowl and paddle as well as to make your chocolate ganache
- a small cookie scoop to portion out the dough
- a rounded teaspoon (or your thumb) to create the well in the middle of each cookie
- a rimmed baking sheet to bake the cookies
- a small saucepan to heat the heavy cream when making the ganache
- a heatproof bowl to make your ganache
How to Make Chocolate Ganache Vanilla Thumbprint Cookies
To make these chocolate ganache vanilla thumbprint cookies, we’re going to start off by making and baking the cookies, as the dough needs some time to chill in the fridge, and once baked, will need to be cooled before adding ganache to the wells in the middle.
The recipe for these chocolate ganache vanilla thumbprint cookies follows a basic framework you’re probably already familiar with, as well as an extra step or two to account for the divot that will get filled with ganache.
- Cream together the powdered sugar, salt, and butter until light and fluffy. Don’t rush this step, as it not only affects the final texture of the cookies, but also determines whether or not you get the full yield out of the recipe. This step takes as long as it takes, but can go faster if your butter is softened and/or cut into tablespoon-sized pieces.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until no shiny streaks are present, and the result looks like fluffy cake batter. Scraping down your bowl and paddle before beginning this step is super helpful, and you’ll need to be a little patient while you mix everything together. It takes quite a bit of mixing for it to get past the “cottage cheese” stage and fully emulsify so that the eggs are fully incorporated.
- Add the flour. Pulse in your flour, and mix on medium-low speed until there are no flour patches present.
- Shape the dough portions. Scoop the dough, roll each portion between your palms so it becomes a smooth ball, then make your divot with either the back of a rounded teaspoon or your thumb.
- Chill the dough, covered, in the fridge. This takes at least an hour, but you can chill the dough for up to two hours. It helps the cookies hold their shape while they bake and also creates more uniform cookies.
- Bake, cool, then fill with the chocolate ganache.
For detailed instructions to make chocolate ganache vanilla thumbprint cookies along with helpful pictures, check out the recipe card below!
How to Make Chocolate Ganache
Making chocolate ganache sounds scary and complicated, but I actually feel like it’s one of the simplest pastry and baking components you can make. It requires minimal ingredients (just chocolate and heavy cream), and the process goes fairly quickly. You’ll make it once, then realize just how simple it is, and want to impress all of your friends.
I did quite a bit of testing in order to give you a method that guarantees a smooth, creamy ganache that shouldn’t split/break (AKA become grainy or can look oily). A broken chocolate ganache is caused by either the ratio of cream to chocolate being off, which shouldn’t happen in this recipe, or the cream being too hot, which forces the components of the chocolate to separate. If you take the cream off the heat before it reaches a full simmer, this shouldn’t happen either.
But worst case scenario, your chocolate ganache breaks or splits… the good news is, it can absolutely be salvaged! To fix a broken ganache, quickly whisk in a small amount of hot water, and you’ll see it come back together, and the emulsion will be saved.
You can read more about it in this awesome blog post by King Arthur Baking: How to Fix Broken Ganache. Check it out!
PrintChocolate Ganache Vanilla Thumbprint Cookies
Tender and buttery vanilla thumbprint cookies with a semi-sweet creamy chocolate ganache filling. An easy cookie recipe that’s perfect for holiday parties or when you want something a little more sophisticated than a chocolate chip cookie.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chill Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 20 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Cookie Ingredients
- 3/4 cup or 115 grams Powdered Sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 16 Tablespoons or 226 grams Unsalted Butter – cut into tablespoon-sized slices
- 1 Egg – large
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups or 276 grams Unbleached All-Purpose Flour – spooned and leveled, see Note*
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Instructions
Make the Cookies
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the powdered sugar (3/4 cup or 115 grams), kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon), and unsalted butter (16 Tablespoons or 226 grams, cut into tablespoon-sized slices) on medium-high speed. Scrape down the bowl and paddle regularly and don’t move onto the next step until it is evenly lightened in color and fluffy.
Tip: this step goes faster if you use room-temperature butter.
- Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the egg (1 – large) and vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon) and beat on medium speed until it is uniform in texture and there are no shiny streaks. It should look like the consistency of a thick cake batter. Finish this step by mixing on medium-high speed for 15 seconds.
Tip: There will be a stage where it looks like cottage cheese – this is normal! Scrape down the bowl and keep going. It will come together, I promise.
- Add the unbleached all-purpose flour (2 cups spooned and leveled, see Note*, or 276 grams) and pulse until the flour is integrated (about 10 pulses), then combine on medium-low until there are no flour patches in the dough or hiding at the bottom of the bowl.
- Using a small cookie scoop, portion out the dough, then roll each dough portion into a smooth ball between your palms
- Use your thumb or the back of a rounded teaspoon to press a well into the middle of each dough ball, then place on a plate, cover, and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
Tip: if using a rounded teaspoon, wipe off the back with a clean towel every four cookies or so to help the process go smoothly.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes on a rimmed baking tray until no longer shiny, then remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray.
Tip: The cookies are done when they’ve spread slightly, they no longer look wet or have a shine to them, and the edges are just starting to turn golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely before filling the wells with chocolate ganache.
Make the Ganache & Fill the Cookies
- Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips (3/4 cup) and kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon) to a heat-proof bowl and set aside until the cream has heated.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the heavy whipping cream (1/2 cup) until it begins to steam but doesn’t quite reach a simmer, swirling occasionally.
Tip: do not step away from the stove as the cream should reach temperature rather quickly, and dairy can quickly get out of control if left unattended on the stove.
- Once the cream is steaming, remove from the heat and pour evenly over the chocolate chips. Give the bowl a swirl so that all of the chips are covered, then let rest untouched for 5 minutes.
- With a flexible spatula, gently stir together the milk, kosher salt, and semi-sweet chocolate chips until smooth, and all of the chocolate is melted.
Tip: if your ganache breaks (starts to look grainy or oily), add a teaspoon of hot water and vigorously whisk into your ganache until it starts to come back together. If it doesn’t start to re-emulsify, add another teaspoon of hot water and repeat.
- While still warm, spoon a 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate ganache into the well of each cooled cookie.
- For best results, allow the ganache-topped cookies to set at room temperature for about two hours or in the fridge for an hour.
Store covered at room temperature for up to three days, or about a week if covered in the fridge.
Check out the blog post for this recipe if you’re looking for ideas to use any leftover ganache!
Notes
*If you aren’t measuring your flour by weight, the most consistent way to measure your flour is to stir the flour in the bag/container with a spoon to break up any dense clumps, then spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the handle of your spoon or the spine of a knife.
Dairy
- Unsalted Butter
- Egg – large
- Heavy Whipping Cream
Pantry
- Powdered Sugar
- Kosher Salt
- Vanilla Extract
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
What to Do with Extra Chocolate Ganache
You’ll most likely have some chocolate ganache left over from making these chocolate ganache vanilla thumbprint cookies, so here are some ways to use it so that it doesn’t go to waste!
- Dip fruit like strawberries or banana pieces into it as you would fondue
- Spoon the ganache over muffins or cake
- Chill the ganache until firm, then scoop into balls and roll in cocoa powder, nuts, or shredded coconut to make truffles
- Whip the chocolate ganache into mouse, then enjoy topped with fresh fruit or whipped cream
- Add hot milk or water and use ganache as a base for hot chocolate – don’t forget to top with whipped cream and marshmallows!
How to Store
Because the ganache in these cookies contains milk, the cookies can be stored covered at room temperature for only 2-3 days (good luck getting them to last that long! We go through these pretty quick in our house), but covered in the fridge they should be good for about a week!
Let’s Keep Baking!
If you’re a chocolate lover, I’ve got some great recipes that people have been loving!
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