Christmas cookie time: these peppermint chocolate thumbprint cookies should be at the top of your list. Chocolate cookies flavored with cold brew liqueur and melted semi-sweet chocolate, rolled in sugar and topped with candy cane Hershey kisses. Relatively quick to whip up, these chocolate thumbprint cookies are a December dream.

Recipe Inspo

Peppermint is my favorite “holiday” flavor. More than pumpkin. More than gingerbread. Or eggnog. To me, it’s superior. I used to love a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha before my body decided it couldn’t handle sugary hot milk anymore. But, I can bake those flavors into a cookie :)!

I don’t buy a lot of grocery store candy but I do love the annual rollout of Hershey’s candy cane kisses. So I figured it was time to make them the star of the show.

What are thumbprint cookies made of?

Thumbprint cookies can look different: some look like they have an actual “thumbprint” indentation which is then filled with jam or chocolate. But sometimes, Hershey kiss candies are used instead. These are also called “blossoms.”

Most thumbprint cookies are made with a simple sugar cookie dough and then rolled in sugar. This recipe has a relatively simple dough, but cocoa powder and melted chocolate are added to make a rich, chocolate cookie.

Equipment needed

Here’s what you need to make these peppermint chocolate thumbprint cookies:

A stand mixer or handheld mixer – I use my KitchenAid (surprising, I’m sure).
A mixing bowl – to use for to mix our dry ingredients.
2 large baking sheets – one is certainly fine but two sheets will speed up the baking process.
parchment paper – don’t use wax paper!
1 small bowl – to roll our cookies in sugar before baking.
A small cookie scoop – a spoon or tablespoon will work as well.
A cooling rack – optional, but accelerates cooling time.

Ingredients

What do you need to make peppermint chocolate thumbprint cookies? Luckily, it’s all pretty basic with one minor exception:

semi-sweet chocolate – who’s to say you can’t use dark chocolate, though? I used the semi-sweet baking chips from Trader Joe’s, but a bar of chocolate works fine too since it gets melted down.
unsalted butter
brown sugar – brown sugar helps create a chewy texture.
granulated sugar – we will be using this sugar in the dough and then rolling the cookies in more sugar before baking. It provides a sparkly, nice finish.
vanilla extract – I personally love vanilla bean paste, which provides a very rich, vanilla taste.
1 egg – room temperature is best.
coffee liqueur like Mr. Black’s cold brew – I love a god coffee kick in my chocolate cookies, especially when peppermint is present. Mr. Black is my favorite coffee liqueur (also great in espresso martinis), but you can omit if you’d like. Or add a few tablespoons of black coffee or espresso.
all purpose flour – this will provide the best chewy texture on the inside with a firm texture on the outside.
unsweetened cocoa powder
baking powder – This will help the cookies keep their shape and prevent them from becoming too flat.
salt
candy cane Hershey kisses – you can use traditional Hershey kisses or any other fun flavor. Caramel Dove chocolates would be delicious as well.

How to make Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Let’s make these chocolate thumbprints with Hershey Kisses!

Step 1

Do your prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place parchment paper on both baking sheets. Place two racks in the center of the oven. Add the semisweet chocolate to a bowl and place it in the microwave for 20 second increments until melted. Stir until the chocolate is homogenous and let cool.

**Alternatively, heat the chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn. This works fine if you do not have a microwave.

Step 2

Start your wet ingredients: Add the butter and both sugars (brown and granulated) to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium until whipped and fluffy, about 1 minute. Then add the egg, vanilla, coffee liqueur and melted chocolate (which should be cool now). Beat again on medium high until whipped. It will appear wet for a little while but it will become homogenous and fluffy after a minute or so.

Adding coffee liqueur and chocolate to the batter

Step 3

Incorporate dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three increments, mixing on low until the batter is well incorporated. Scrape down the sides as you go. The batter will be pretty thick at this point. Don’t overmix – just mix until well combined and then stop.

If you keep mixing it, the batter can become tough, which is not what we want! It should feel like wet and soft Play-doh.

Step 4

Build your peppermint thumbprints: Pour some granulated sugar into a small bowl (about 1/3 cup). With a cookie scoop, scoop a large tablespoon-sized amount of dough. Roll it in your hands quickly into a tight ball. Work quickly so the dough does not melt in your hands.

Roll the dough ball in the sugar bowl until it’s well coated all over. Place the dough on the cookie sheet and repeat the process until all the cookies are formed, about 20-25 cookie balls.

Place about 10 cookies per sheet (NOTE: if you have a large sheet pan, that is. If it’s smaller, then do less). They will expand a little in the oven, but not as much as a standard chocolate chip cookie would.

Step 5

Finish them off: Bake the cookies in the oven for 8-9 minutes, until the cookies look set. Let the cookies cool for about 2 minutes, and then push a Hershey kiss into the center of each one. Be gentle so that your cookies don’t crumble and break. Let them cool longer and transfer them to a cookie rack if you have one. Enjoy!

Cookie Storage

After letting these cookies cool completely, transfer them to an airtight container and store them at room temperature. Consume within 1 week. You can also place these cookies in a Ziploc bag and freeze them for 1-2 months.

Other cookies to try

If you liked these peppermint chocolate thumbprint cookies, try these other holiday treats:

Red Velvet Caramel Crinkle Cookies

Peppermint Chocolate Espresso Cookies

Chocolate Ganache Sandwich Cookies

Leave a Review

If you tried this peppermint chocolate thumbprint cookies, please leave a star review below with a comment. Feel free to tag me in your instagram stories too: @caroline_hoffman.

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