Peppermint Chocolate Ganache Thumbprint Cookies

51 Comments / By Stephanie / December 6, 2019

Traditional thumbprint sugar cookies get a holiday twist with a chocolate ganache filling sprinkled with peppermint pieces.

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My boys (ok, Justin and me too) are loving all the Christmas cookies and desserts we have been trying lately. It’s all for the blog, right?! Well, this week we made another delicious recipe: Peppermint Chocolate Ganache Thumbprint Cookies. It’s a dream for all chocolate lovers, especially if you also enjoy peppermint flavors.

I started with a recipe from one of my many magazines. Unfortunately, the dough did not come out right at all so I had to modify it a little bit as I went. Originally, it only used egg yolks but I found using the whole egg worked better. The dough didn’t look pretty, but they still tasted amazing!

Tyler tried to help with making the thumbprints in the cookies. After making the first batch, I noticed that his little thumbs weren’t making enough of an indent in the chewy cookies. Even some of the ones I did in the first batch weren’t enough. You have to make a decent dent in the cookies because they will close up a little as they bake.

Serving Suggestions & Tips

If you are using the bowl of a stand mixer, start with the whisk attachment to cream butter and sugar, then switch to the paddle attachment for the dough.
Instead of your thumbs, you can use the end of a spatula or the end of a wooden spoon to make the thumbprints in the center of each ball of dough.
Slowly heat the chocolate and cream for the smooth ganache to prevent the chocolate from seizing up. Stir it constantly.
For equally sized cookies, use a small cookie scoop to make the smooth balls of dough.

Peppermint Chocolate Ganache Thumbprint Cookies Step by Step

Ingredients

Dough

1 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Topping

3/4 cup chocolate chips (semisweet)
3 tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup peppermint candies (crushed)

Preparation

Start by combining the sugars and the softened butter in a large bowl.

Whisk attachment lifting whisked butter and sugar from a stand mixer on a white surface

Add the rest of the dough’s wet ingredients and dry ingredients and mix it up to form a dough.

Young boy pouring ingredients into a stand mixer

Prepared cookie dough in a stainless steel bowl on a wooden surface

Gather about a tablespoon of dough, and roll it into a smooth ball. Then flatten the cookie dough balls on a baking stone or baking sheet.

Young boy using a cookie scoop to place cookies on a baking stone on top of a white surface

Balls of cookie dough on a baking stone with a cookie scoop on a white surface

Use your thumbs to make indents in the center of the cookies. Make the indent bigger than you think you need because it will close up as they bake.

Young boy pressing thumbprints into balls of cookie dough on a baking stone on a white surface

Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes and then let them cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes. Once slightly cooled, move the cookie base to a wire rack to let them cool completely.

Baked thumbprint cookies on a wire cooling rack on a white surface

Once the cookies are cool, make the creamy chocolate ganache by melting the chocolate chips with the cream in a small saucepan over low heat and stirring it up.

Round white bowl with melted chocolate in front of baked thumbprint cookies on a wire cooling rack all on a white surface

Add a spoonful of the ganache to the center of each cookie, and sprinkle the peppermint pieces on the chocolate.

Stack of peppermint chocolate ganache thumbprint cookies surrounded by crushed peppermint and a glass of milk and brown towel behind all on a wooden surface (vertical)

Peppermint Chocolate Ganache Thumbprint Cookies Leftovers

Storage: Place any leftover cookies in an airtight container, with a layer of parchment paper or wax paper between layers as needed. Keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Recipe

Originally Published On: February 7, 2017

Last Updated On: November 3, 2024

Peppermint Chocolate Ganache Thumbprint Cookies

Traditional thumbprint sugar cookies get a holiday twist with a chocolate ganache filling sprinkled with peppermint pieces.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Course:

Dessert

Cuisine:

American

Diet

Vegetarian

Keyword:

chocolate

holidays

peppermint

Dietary Needs:

Nut-Free

Servings: cookies

5 from 4 votes