Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies
Soft, chewy gingerbread cookies rolled in sugar and filled with a spiced white chocolate center that sets firm. A make-ahead holiday cookie for Christmas trays and gift tins.
Servings 30 cookies
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Dough
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (345 g)
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened (170 g)
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses not blackstrap
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar for rolling
For the Spiced White Chocolate Filling
- 4 ounces white chocolate baking bar finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground ginger
Instructions
Make and Chill the Dough
- Whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until creamy.
- Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients in two additions on low speed, mixing just until no flour streaks remain.
- Cover and chill the dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days.
Shape and Bake
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the cold dough into 1 tablespoon portions and roll into smooth balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on the sheets.
- Press the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon into each ball about a third of the way down. Pinch any cracked edges back together.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 9 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still look soft.
- Immediately press the measuring spoon into each well again. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Fill the Cookies
- Microwave the white chocolate and heavy cream at 50% power in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Stir in the cinnamon and ginger.
- Spoon or pipe about 1 teaspoon of filling into each cooled cookie.
- Let the cookies stand at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, until the filling is firm.
Notes
- Molasses: Use unsulphured regular or robust molasses. Blackstrap is too bitter for these cookies.
- Test cookie: Bake one cookie first to dial in the bake time for your oven.
- Make ahead: Refrigerate the dough up to 2 days, or freeze dough balls up to 3 months. Baked unfilled cookies freeze up to 3 months.
- Storage: Keep filled cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days, with parchment between layers.
- Jam version: Fill the wells with ½ teaspoon jam before baking and skip the second press.