‘Tis the season, and last week, Roxanne declared that the baking frenzy had begun. I agree. Holiday dinners and parties mean I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. But no matter how crazy the days are, baking Christmas cookies is very special. It is packed with memories and just says holidays more than about anything else.

I cherish cookie time—with my old, favorite holiday CD’s playing happily, it really isn’t the holidays until I can bake cookies. I love baking all kinds of cookies, and truly cherish the time I spend icing and decorating sugar cookies and gingerbread men. But I don’t stop at cut-out cookies.

These are one of the other cookies that I always include on cookie trays. They are the ideal cookie for a cookie exchange–the perfect size, beautiful, and tasty. (We love cookie exchanges. Roxanne is famous for hers–and if you want to read more about them visit here or here.)

I clipped the recipe from a magazine probably 30 years ago and I have made them every year, since. They look elegant but little girls could help me shape the cookie dough—and they still looked as a pretty as a picture. The easy chocolate ganache that fills the center of each cookie tastes luscious. Today, those little girls are incredible adult women—and one of them still asks for these cookies for they are her favorite.

I love hearing about cookie traditions. It seems every family I know bakes some kind of cookie for the holidays—and holidays wouldn’t be the same without them. What are your favorites?

It may sound silly to many of you, but each cookie I bake is baked with love and each tray of cookies that I share with friends and neighbors comes from my heart. So, here is the recipe—with the hope that you will make them and share a little love.

Chocolate Filled Thumbprint Cookies

Cookies:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
5 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

Chocolate Ganache Filling:

1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat butter, brown sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed, beating until the butter-sugar mixture is very creamy.

Stir together flour and salt. Beat the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture. Add milk. Beat just until mixture is blended and moistened. Form dough into 1-1/2 to 2-inch balls and place at least 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Indent center of each cookie ball by pressing firmly with thumb or the end of a wooden spoon.

Bake cookies until golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. (When done, the cookies will be set and the edges will just begin to brown, but do not allow the tops to brown or the cookies will taste over-baked.) Gently roll each warm cookie in confectioners’ sugar, covering the cookies completely. Arrange the cookies on a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.

Prepare Chocolate Ganache Filling: Melt chocolate and shortening in the top of double boiler over simmering (not boiling) water. Once the chocolate is melted, remove the double boiler from the heat and lift the pan of the chocolate mixture off the hot water. Stir in the corn syrup, blending until smooth. Blend in the water and vanilla and blend until smooth.

Drizzle the chocolate filling into the indentation in each cookie using the tip of a small spoon. Set cookies aside and allow chocolate to cool and become firm.

Makes about 3 to 3½ dozen cookies.

Tip:

These cookies work best to shape the dough into balls immediately after blending. Do not refrigerate the dough first.

Definitely splurge on real butter; this is not a time to bake cookies with margarine.