Description
Delight in these festive Peppermint Thumbprint Cookies, combining rich cocoa-flavored sugar cookie dough with melted chocolate almond bark and a crunchy peppermint candy cane topping. Perfect for holiday celebrations or a sweet treat any time of year.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 17.5 ounce package sugar cookie mix
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter softened
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1¼ tsp peppermint extract
Chocolate Topping
- 8 ounces chocolate almond bark chopped (about 1 cup or 4 squares)
- ¼ cup crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Prepare Dough: In a large bowl, use a beater to thoroughly mix the sugar cookie mix, softened salted butter, cocoa powder, eggs, and peppermint extract until completely combined.
- Shape Cookies: Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Scoop 1-inch balls of dough using a 1 tablespoon measurer. Roll each ball smoothly between your hands and place on the sheet pan.
- Create Indents: Press your thumb or a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon into the center of each cookie to make an indent. If cracks appear, gently mold the dough back together to keep the surface smooth.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until the centers begin to set but are not fully firm.
- Re-Indent: Remove the cookies from the oven and carefully press again with your teaspoon measurer to deepen the indentations while the cookies are still warm.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan as you prepare the chocolate topping.
- Melt Chocolate: Place the chopped chocolate almond bark in a microwave-safe bowl and melt in 20 second increments, stirring between each, until smooth.
- Fill Indents: Spoon the melted chocolate almond bark into the indentations of each cookie until they are filled completely.
- Add Candy Canes: Immediately sprinkle the crushed candy canes on top of the melted chocolate before it sets to add a peppermint crunch.
- Set and Serve: Let the chocolate cool and set for 3-5 minutes. Serve the cookies slightly warm for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container on the countertop for 2-3 days or refrigerate for 4-5 days to maintain freshness.
- Freeze cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
- Crush candy canes by placing them in a plastic bag and smashing with a rolling pin for chunky pieces; a food processor will create powdery bits.
- Making dough balls slightly smaller will yield more cookies and helps them hold the melted chocolate better, as the dough expands during baking.
- For easier shaping and less cracking, chill dough for 2-3 hours before baking so the indent holds during cooking.
- Using a round 1 teaspoon measuring spoon for the indentations gives consistent and neat thumbprints.
- Follow this recipe instead of the cookie mix’s package instructions for best results with peppermint flavor and texture.
- Only making one indent after baking is an option but may increase cracking; the double indent technique helps maintain cookie shape.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 170 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
