Strawberry & Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

When I was a young, I remember my grandmother often being gifted boxes of chocolate…the ones with the filled centers. When no one was looking, I would try to solve the mystery of each by inspecting it from every angle. I always hoped for a fudge or caramel center, but instead, usually ended up biting into something with a thick yellow or pink filling – a mystery flavor that my young taste buds could not discern. I would sit there for a stunned moment with my mouth open and then, when the shock passed, I would run to the nearest trash can. Forrest Gump was right.

There’s something alluring about desserts with a filled center, whether the filling is visible as in these little gems or waiting to be discovered as in molten lava cakes, filled doughnuts, and eclairs. People’s inherent sense of curiosity and the anticipation of the unknown make treats like these never lose their childlike appeal.

Thumbprint cookies are my youngest daughter, Juliette’s, favorite cookie. Since it’s her birthday this weekend, I surprised her with a batch in her favorite flavor – strawberry. I drizzled them with bittersweet chocolate to offset some of the sweetness in the strawberry jam. I made a few for myself too. Those, I filled with dark chocolate ganache and then sprinkled with sea salt. In terms of the fillings, the possibilities are endless. You can use your favorite fruit jam or other non-fruit fillings, such as dulce de leche or nutella.

This cookie often makes an appearance around holiday time because of the festive jewel tones in the jam. Doing a little research, I found that similar jam-filled cookies are popular in many parts of the world – from the Hallongrotta (meaning raspberry cave) in Sweden to the Polish kołaczki. In the U.S., they are typically named Thumbprint Cookies because of the thumb indentation made to each cookie before baking.

These cookies require steps, but are uncomplicated. The recipe is from Cooks Illustrated. It starts off with the whisking together of the dry ingredients. All the other ingredients are blended using a mixer and then combined with the dry ingredients. The dough is shaped into little balls and an indentation is made with your thumb. Make sure you dip your thumb in water because the dough is sticky and this will make it easier. They are baked unfilled about 10 minutes and then the indentation is pressed in once again, this time using the back of a measuring spoon so you don’t burn your fingers. Then, they are filled with jam and baked for another few minutes. For the chocolate-filled ones, I waited to fill them until the cookies were completely baked and cooled. So, these would not go into the oven after being filled (to keep the chocolate from melting too much or burning) like the jam ones would.

These Strawberry and Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies are a special treat and easier to make than they seem. Enjoy them any time of the year with your favorite seasonal fillings.

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Alfajores – Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies