Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprints

Total Time: 1 hr 38 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 30 mins Cook Time: 8 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Recipe

• 1 make the cookies:.
• 2 sift the flour and cocoa together into a medium bowl.
• 3 cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• 4 add the vanilla and salt; continue beating until blended and smooth, about 1 minute more.
• 5 add the flour-cocoa mixture and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms, about 1 minute.
• 6 chill the dough until firm enough to roll into balls, 40 to 60 minutes.
• 7 heat the oven to 350°f line cookie sheets with parchment or nonstick baking liners.
• 8 roll heaping teaspoonfuls of the dough into 1-inch balls.
• 9 arrange them 2 inches apart on the lined sheets.
• 10 with a lightly floured thumb or index fingertip, press straight down into the middle of each ball almost to the cookie sheet to make a deep well. (or use the end of a thick-handled wooden spoon.).
• 11 bake one sheet at a time until the tops of the cookies look dry, 8 to 9 minutes.
• 12 gently redefine the indentations with the end of a wooden spoon.
• 13 let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes and then let them cool completely on racks.
• 14 make the filling:.
• 15 put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set in a wide skillet of almost simmering water.
• 16 stir with a heatproof spatula until almost melted, 2 to 4 minutes.
• 17 remove the bowl from the heat and stir until melted and smooth, about 30 seconds more.
• 18 stir in the mint extract.
• 19 let the filling cool, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and a bit warmer than room temperature, 30 to 40 minutes.
• 20 spoon the filling into a small pastry bag with a small plain tip. (or use a small plastic bag and cut a tiny bit off a bottom corner of the bag.)
• 21 pipe the filling into the center of each cookie.
• 22 cool completely before serving or storing.
• 23 the cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 to 5 days.