Classic Thumbprint Cookies

[randyjl]

I love old fashioned thumbprint cookies. The shorbread cookies with the dollop of chocolate icing in the thumb depression? Does anyone have a recipe or link. I especially need to know how to make the chocolate icing that hardens in the depression.

[MsMaryMc]

Here's my mother's Thumbprint Cookie recipe. I always make a few new things in my annual holiday baking frenzy, but these are the one recipe I never rotate out.

http://www.casagordita.com/thumbprintcookies.htm

...an her Peanut Blossoms--not quite such a classic, but still good

http://www.casagordita.com/peanutblos...

[Normandie]

I can't believe I never thought of incorporating peanutty goodness, in some way, shape or form, into thumbprints, until reading buttertart's post and yours, MsMary. I'll have to do something about that this Christmas.

Those recipes look yummy.

[laraffinee]

Oh, MsMaryMc! I don't know whether you will see this, but I have been looking for a thumbprint recipe that is rolled in eggwhites and then nuts! Thank you so much for posting these recipes!

[MsMaryMc]

Glad to help! I think they're my favorites on my cookie plates this year. They aren't the fanciest, but they are the most tasty!

[Normandie]

P.S. Meant to say that while that recipe is for jam thumbprints, all the chocolate varieties I've ever had simply call for putting a Hershey's Kiss in the imprint before baking.

Don't know how others make their chocolate thumbprints, so perhaps other CHers can advise you better on that aspect.

[buttertart]

Due to a surfeit of Hallowe'en candy, I've been thinking about making the peanut blossom ones (a specialty of my mother-in-law's) with a mini Snickers instead of a kiss. My mother used to make the jam ones (cookies rolled in nuts before baking, jam added at the end) but I don't have the recipe.

[Normandie]

:-O

(Note that for once I'm speechless. Except to ask, "What are you waiting for??????????")

[buttertart]

Only need the time to do it, weekend after Tgiving most likely. Have had Saturdays as baking days temporarily shot out from beneath me due to other obligations. The CI Family Baking Book uses some ground peanuts in their peanut blossom dough, think I'll use that one for even more peanutty goodness as you put it!

[randyjl]

Hersheys taste awful after baking, at least to me, Needs to be a runny type of icing that hardens.

[Normandie]

That's fine. You can fill the depression with ganache or whatever you like. Just wanted to post the link to chowser's recipe, because I think that cookie batter has a particularly nice flavor and texture.

[Normandie]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/367623

randy, if my link worked, in the middle of that thread there is a recipe that chowser posted some time ago for thumbprint cookies. I've used a few different recipes for them in the past, but this recipe quickly became my family's favorite and it's the one I use now. The flavor and texture seem exceptionally good to us (with thanks to chowser).

[chowser]

Thanks--it's nice to know it came in handy for someone. I love how easily those cookies come together so easily.

To the OP, you can pop a little ball of chocolate ganache into the thumbprint cookie, one that is a little heavier in chocolate proportion.