Chocolate Plum Thumbprints Recipes

CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 1 stick butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in flour, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium high.
• Roll dough by teaspoonfuls into balls, and place 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, and press thumb into tops of cookies to make indentations. Return to oven, and bake until light brown on the edges, 7 to 9 minutes more. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
• Combine chocolate, 4 tablespoons butter, and corn syrup in a small heat-proof bowl. Set over a pot of simmering water; stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Allow to cool slightly. When cookies are cool, fill the thumbprints with the chocolate mixture.

CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINTS I

Steps:

• Beat 1/2 cup butter or margarine, white sugar, egg yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to butter mixture. Cover and chill 1 hour or until firm enough to roll into balls.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, lightly beat egg white.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Shape dough into 1 inch balls; dip in egg white, then roll in nuts. Place on greased baking sheets. Make an indentation with thumb in center of each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until center is set.
• To Make the Filling: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine, 2 teaspoons of milk and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
• Spoon 1/4 teaspoon of the filling into each warm cookie; gently press a chocolate kiss (unwrapped) in the center. Carefully remove from baking sheet to wire racks to cool.

THUMBPRINT COOKIES I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
• Separate egg, reserving egg white. Cream butter or margarine, sugar, and egg yolk.
• Add vanilla, flour and salt, mixing well.
• Shape dough into balls. Roll in egg white, then walnuts. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 5 minutes.
• Remove cookies from oven. With thumb, dent each cookie. Put jelly or preserves in each thumbprint. Bake for another 8 minutes.

CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until easy to handle, about 1 hour. , In a small bowl, whisk egg white until foamy. Shape dough into 1-in. balls; dip in egg white, then roll in nuts. Place on greased baking sheets. Using a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in center of each cookie. Bake at 350° until center is set, 10-12 minutes. , For filling, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, milk and vanilla; stir until smooth. Spoon or pipe 1/4 teaspoon into each warm cookie; gently press a chocolate kiss in the center. Carefully remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Whisk together the flour, salt and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Place a heatproof medium bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water; don't let the water touch the bottom of the bowl. Drop in the chunks of butter and scatter over the chocolate. Heat, stirring now and then, until the butter and chocolate are melted, but not so hot that they separate, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from the saucepan and whisk in the sugar. (Don't be alarmed when the mixture turns grainy.) One by one, add the cold eggs, whisking vigorously until the mixture is thick and smooth, and the whisk leaves tracks. Beat in the vanilla, then switch to a spatula and add the flour in 3 additions, stirring gently between each addition, until the flour disappears into the dough. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 4 days.
• When you're ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and heat it to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Put the sanding or granulated sugar in a small bowl and, if you've got one, have a cork from a wine bottle at hand.
• Using a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon, scoop mounds of dough, each a scant tablespoon. Roll the dough into balls and then roll the balls in the sugar to coat. Place the balls on the baking sheets, giving them 1½ inches or so of space to spread. Press the cork into the center of each cookie or use your thumb to make an indentation.
• Bake 1 sheet for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cookies feel firmish. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack. The indentations will have puffed in the oven, so you'll want to press them down again. Repeat with the second sheet. Let cookies cool completely.
• Fill the prints: Melt milk, dark or ruby chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. If using white chocolate, add oil before melting and stir until smooth. While the chocolate is still warm and fluid, use a small spoon to fill each indentation to the brim, letting the chocolate fall from the end of the spoon. Slide the cookies into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to set the chocolate. The cookies will keep for about 5 days in a covered container at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE PLUM THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• In medium saucepan, combine dried plums, sugar and 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Stir in walnuts and chocolate morsels.
• Set aside.
• In large mixing bowl, beat margarine with electric mixer until softened.
• Add brown sugar; beat until smooth.
• In seperate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
• Gradually add flour mixture to margarine mixture, beating until well combined.
• Stir in milk and oats.
• Shape into 1 1/4 balls.
• Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Press down center of each ball with thumb.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
• Spoon about 1 teaspoon dried plum mixture into center of each cookie.
• Bake for 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Let stand 1 minute before removing to wire racks.

BUTTER AND JAM THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.
• In another bowl, whip the butter and the sugar with a hand-held mixer until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing just until incorporated.
• Scoop the dough into 1-inch balls with a cookie or ice cream scoop and roll in sugar. Place about 2-inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball, about 1/2-inch deep. Fill each indentation with about 3/4 teaspoon jam.
• Bake cookies until the edges are golden, about 15 minutes. (For even color, rotate the pans from top to bottom about halfway through baking.) Cool cookies on the baking sheets. Serve.
• Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

COCOA THUMBPRINTS

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and eggs and stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Place the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in 2 separate small bowls. Roll scant tablespoonfuls of dough into balls; roll in the granulated sugar and then in the confectioners' sugar. Place 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly flatten each ball with your fingers and make a deep 1/2-inch-wide indentation in the centers with your thumb. Place your choice of filling in the indentation. Bake the cookies until puffed and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes. Let cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a small bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium, and add yolks, cream, and vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture until just combined.
• Roll balls using 2 teaspoons dough for each, and roll each in sugar. Place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. With the handle of a wooden spoon, press gently in the center of each to create an indentation. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are just set, about 10 minutes. (If indentations lose definition, press centers again.) Let cool slightly on baking sheets. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool.
• Spoon warm ganache into center of each cookie. Let stand until firm, about 15 minutes.