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Eggnog Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 106 reviews

These Eggnog Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies combine the warm, festive spices of gingerbread with a creamy white chocolate and eggnog filling. The dough is chilled to perfect consistency, baked until soft, and then filled with a smooth eggnog-white chocolate mixture, making these cookies a delightful holiday treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 375 grams all purpose flour (10.5-11% protein)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Wet Ingredients & Sugars

  • 140 grams unsalted butter (European style butter, 82% butterfat), softened
  • 147 grams light or dark brown sugar (packed)
  • 50 grams egg (room temperature)
  • 170 grams unsulphered molasses (not blackstrap, can substitute treacle)
  • 50 grams granulated sugar (for rolling dough balls)

Filling

  • 170 grams quality white chocolate baking bar or white chocolate chips (roughly chopped)
  • 60 grams alcohol-free eggnog

Instructions

  1. Make the Cookie Dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt to combine and set aside.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until creamy and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add Egg and Molasses: Mix in the egg and molasses on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.
  4. Combine Dry Ingredients: Add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing well between each addition until fully incorporated, forming a smooth cookie dough. Scrape the bowl as needed.
  5. Pre-measure and Chill Dough: Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough into balls approximately 1.5 inches in diameter. Place balls on a parchment-lined tray or dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight to develop flavor and firm the dough.
  6. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Set the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with two layers of parchment paper.
  7. Shape Dough Balls: Once chilled, roll each dough ball between your palms to smooth, then roll completely in granulated sugar to coat.
  8. Form Thumbprints: Arrange the dough balls spaced 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Using a rounded half teaspoon measuring spoon, gently press a thumbprint indentation about 1/3 way into each ball. If dough cracks, reshape and re-roll before pressing.
  9. Bake Cookies: Bake in the middle rack of the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes until cookies are set but remain soft. Avoid overbaking to keep them tender, not crisp.
  10. Reshape Thumbprints: Immediately after removing from the oven, use your measuring spoon to gently reshape the thumbprint indentations while cookies are still warm, as they will flatten slightly during baking.
  11. Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
  12. Prepare Eggnog White Chocolate Filling: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine eggnog and white chocolate. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Alternatively, melt using a double boiler.
  13. Fill Cookies: Transfer the melted filling to a piping bag and pipe into the cooled thumbprint centers of the cookies.
  14. Set Filling: Allow the filling to set at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour. To speed up, refrigerate briefly but do not store the filled cookies long-term in the fridge.
  15. Finish and Store: Optionally, sprinkle with cinnamon or grated nutmeg before serving. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  • Chilling the dough before baking helps prevent cookies from spreading too much in the oven and develops deeper flavors.
  • Pre-measuring the dough balls before chilling makes handling easier and ensures uniform cookies.
  • The thumbprint indentations will slightly diminish during baking; gently reshaping them right out of the oven maintains their perfect shape.
  • Use alcohol-free eggnog for the filling to keep the recipe family-friendly.
  • If you do not have a microwave, melting the white chocolate and eggnog in a double boiler is a gentle alternative.
  • Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for optimal texture and flavor; avoid refrigerating filled cookies long term.

Keywords: egg nog cookies, gingerbread cookies, thumbprint cookies, holiday cookies, white chocolate filling, winter desserts

Find it online: https://lieblingsmahlzeit.com/eggnog-gingerbread-thumbprint-cookies-recipe/