Only cookies good enough for Santa: Chocolate peppermint thumbprints

’Tis the season for cookies, and every day till Christmas, Star journalists are baking a recipe from the Star’s archives. Follow our holiday baking adventures here on The Star, or get the recipes first plus some inspiration for your inbox with our free Cookie Calendar newsletter. Sign up here.
Tania Pereira is a team editor on the digital desk and mom of two teenage cookie monsters. When it comes to baking, my kids say homemade is better than store bought.
I first saw the recipe for Chocolate-Peppermint Thumbprints in the Star in 2013. It has been my go-to Christmas recipe ever since. These cookies are moist and rich with a thumbprint full of minty chocolate.
In our house, these were the only cookies good enough to serve Santa on Christmas Eve.
They’re also easy, “no-fail” and decadent, with a burst of winter freshness. Kids love them and they’re fancy enough to impress adults, too.
Tip: Resist the urge to bake longer than the recipe requires. These cookies firm up as they cool.
These cookies turn out so beautifully, some guests may even doubt they’re homemade. (This really happened.)
2 cups All-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Large egg
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa and salt. (If the cocoa is lumpy, sift it through a fine-mesh sieve.)
In large bowl, using electric mixer on medium-high, beat 1 cup (250 mL) butter and 1 cup (250 mL) sugar 3 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down sides with rubber spatula several times. Add egg and vanilla; beat to combine. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions and beat to combine into dough. Place remaining ¼ cup (60 mL) sugar in small bowl.
Scoop dough by scant tablespoonful and roll dough into balls (about 1-inch/2.5-cm), then roll in sugar to coat. Place balls, 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, on 1 or 2 large, parchment-lined baking sheets. In batches, bake in centre of preheated 350F (180C) oven 5 minutes. Remove sheet from oven. With small end of melon baller or bottom of ½ tsp (2 mL) measuring spoon, make an indentation in centre of each cookie. Bake 4 minutes, until cookies are just set but still look moist (do not overbake). Cool 30 minutes on sheets on wire racks.
In microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips and remaining ¼ cup (60 mL) butter in 10-second increments until melted. Stir in peppermint extract. Let cool until thick enough to pipe, about 5 minutes. Spoon mixture into medium or large zip-top bag. Snip small (1/4-inch/6 mm) hole in one corner. Pipe chocolate into cookie indentations. Let cool completely on wire racks.
Store cookies in airtight containers, up to 1 week.
Makes about 48.