Seventeenth Annual Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies: Double Chocolate Thumbprints

Cookies:
1 ½ cups butter (3 sticks), softened
1 ½ cups brown sugar, packed
½ cup sugar
4 egg yolks
4 tsp vanilla extract
3 ¼ cups  flour
1 cup cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s Special Dark)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Chocolate Ganache:
¾ cup heavy cream
2 Tbs light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
scant 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
Sprinkles (about ¼ cup)

Cookies:
Using an electric mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Slowly add to butter mixture and mix until just combined.

Use a small cookie scoop to make 1” balls. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet; dough can be close together. Roll dough into balls. Using the back of a ½ tsp measuring spoon, make depressions in each cookie dough ball. Chill dough balls for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Arrange the chilled dough about 2” apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes; do not overbake.

When the cookies are still hot, press down on the centers with the back of a 1 tsp measuring spoon. Cool cookies completely before filling with ganache.

Ganache:
Place heavy cream, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a microwave safe bowl (I use a Pyrex measuring cup). Heat in the microwave for 1 minute.

Place chocolate chips in a small bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 1 minute. Stir to combine the cream and chocolate together.

Place the ganache in a freezer bag; snip off corner of bag. Fill the center of each cookie with ganache. Before the ganache sets, top ganache with sprinkles.

Chill the cookies for about 10 minutes to allow the ganache to set. Store in an airtight container between layers of waxed or parchment paper.

Makes 5-6 dozen small cookies

NOTE: I use half of this dough to make these cookies, and half to make Chocolate Peppermint Bark Thumbprints

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