Grandma’s (Oma’s) Chocolate Thumbprints

BRIANNE JOHNSON — OpenSquare, Seattle

We Are Open Resource Group

PREP TIME: 15 minutes | COOK TIME: 10-12 minutes | TOTAL TIME: 25-30 minutes

I’m not sure if this recipe existed in the old country, but it was a popular Christmas cookie in our family nonetheless. My grandmother loved to bake and when I asked for the recipe, she rattled off ingredients and measurements. It took me years to get it written down. It contains a somewhat unusual combination of ingredients. Trust the recipe - it works but has no room for substitutions. The chocolate filling is delightful, and the powdered sugar makes this cookie on par with a Russian teacake. Whenever I bring these cookies into work, they don’t last long.

FOR THE COOKIE PART 1 cup soft butter or margarine

½ cup powdered sugar, for cookie dough

1 cup or as needed powdered sugar for rolling cookies in

1 tsp vanilla

2 ½ cups of flour

¼ tsp of salt FOR THE FILLING ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips or any dark chocolate

1 tbsp of water

2 tbsp light corn syrup (do not substitute)

1 tbsp of shortening (do not substitute)

1 tsp of vanilla

Cream the butter, then add powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla until well mixed.

Gradually add flour, and mix until combined.

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet 1 ½ to 2 inches apart.

Use your thumb or a small round measuring spoon to make a thumbprint so that the cookie can hold the melted chocolate. The dough may crack so just form with fingers when needed.

Bake at 400° F for 10-12 minutes.

Let cool for a few minutes or until still warm, and then coat the thumbprints in powdered sugar.

Wait until the cookies cool completely and then recoat the cookies in the powdered sugar.

When the cookies are completely cool and sugar coated, start working on the chocolate filling. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave in 20-30 second increments until melted, stirring the chocolate each time.

Then add the water, corn syrup, shortening, and vanilla to the melted chocolate and mix well. The filling should not be runny and almost ganache like.

Gently spoon the chocolate into the thumbprint depressions on the cookies and try not to overfill.

Don’t forget to lick the spoon if you have leftovers!

These keep well for a week if tightly covered in an airtight container. If the cookies need to be stacked to fit, use wax paper between each layer.