Chocolate Thumbprints

These tiny little cookies are so good, and so easy.  We needed something to bring to a friend, so I flipped through Martha Stewart's Cookie cookbook.  I made these a while ago, when I first got that cookbook and remember them being really yummy.  They still are!  When making the chocolate filling/glaze, I forgot to add the corn syrup in.  I didn't even realize this 'till this morning (I made these last night).  It's good without it!  I'd add it in next time though; I think it adds more shiny-ness (you can't really have too much of that) and it might make the chocolate a little easier to work with.  Honey would work, too, and add some rich honey flavor. 

For the glaze, I used half salted butter, half un-salted, to get that salty contrast against the chooclate.  For the chocolate, I used mini semi-sweet choco chips and they melted beautifuly.  Instead of using my poor little thumb to make an imprint in these during baking, I used the end of my pestle, from my tiny little mortar and pestle set.  Maybe a thick end of a wooden spoon would work, or something similar.  Or just use your thumb, and keep a bowl of ice water handy, like she states in the cookbook, so your thumb doesn't get burned.  I shortened the baking time; she calls for 10 minutes for the first round, and then 7-9 minutes more.  I only did a total of 12-14 minutes for mine; after all, these cookies are tiny!

The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of dough per cookie; I measured (with water) my smallest cookie scoop, and it was exactly 2 teaspoons.  How convenient.

Chocolate Thumbprints

from Martha Stewart's Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (or 6 oz. mini semi-sweet chips)

6 tablespoons butter (half salted and half unsalted, if desired)

2 teaspoons corn syrup

1.  Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, the confectioner's sugar, salt, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Beat in flour, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium until combined.

3.  Form balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each; place balls 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.  Bake 8-9 minutes, remove from oven, and press thumb into cookies to make deep, wide indentations.  (This is where the end of some kitchen utensil comes in handy!)  Rotate pan, and return to oven; bake until light brown on the edges, about 4-5 minutes more.  (If the indentations begin to lose definition, remove cookies from oven and press again.)  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

4.  Combine chocolate, the remaining 6 tablespoons butter, and the corn syrup in a small heatproof bowl (like Pyrex) set over a pot of simmering water; stir occasionally until melted and smooth.  Allow to cool a bit until slightly thickened.  (Mine took a while- about 45 mins).  Fill thumbprints with the chocolate mixture, and set aside to firm up.  Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temp for up to 3 days.