Chocolate Cherry Thumbprint Cookies

A pile of chocolate cherry cookies topped with chocolate ganache and red maraschino cherries.

These Chocolate Cherry Thumbprint Cookies taste like a chocolate covered cherry in cookie form. They've got a soft chocolate cookie, topped with a smooth and rich chocolate ganache, and a maraschino cherry. Perfect for chocolate cherry lovers!

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cherry, chocolate cherry cookies, chocolate cookies, Thumbprint Cookies

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 7

Total Time: 32

Servings: cookies

Calories: 123kcal

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS milk (optional, if needed)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (for rolling)

For the Chocolate Ganache:

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup high quality chocolate chips
1 tsp cherry extract (optional)
36 Maraschino Cherries (stems removed)

Instructions

For the Cookie Dough:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or a silicone liner.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set the mixture aside. 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt
Using a large bowl with a hand mixer, or a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars for a couple minutes until light and fluffy. 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar
Add in the egg, and vanilla extra and stir until just combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on slow speed until combined. Add in the milk if needed, if the dough is too dry. 1 TBS milk
Scoop the dough into 1 TBS portions and roll them into balls. Roll the balls into the remaining sugar. 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Place them onto the prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart from each other. Press an indent into the top of each cookie with the back of a teaspoon measuring spoon.
Bake the cookies for 5 to 7 minutes, until the tops are just barely set. Remove them from the oven, and re-impress the indent into the top of each cookie.
Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool more.

For the Chocolate Ganache:

Add the heavy cream to a small microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until hot. 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Pour the heavy cream over chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl. Pour in the cherry extract, and let them sit for 2 to 3 minutes. 1 cup high quality chocolate chips, 1 tsp cherry extract
Stir the ganache together until smooth.
Spoon a teaspoon of ganache into the indent in each cookie.
Press a Marsaschino Cherry into the top of the ganache on each cookie. 36 Maraschino Cherries
Let the cookies sit until the ganache is set, and enjoy.

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