Dense, chewy, dark chocolate cookies with a crunchy, sparkling exterior and bright, minty matcha green tea buttercream filling. A deliciously festive cookie.
16tablespoonunsalted butter (8 oz), cut into small squares, at room temperature
1 ½cupsgranulated sugar
2largeeggs, room temperature
1 ½teaspoonvanilla extract
1 ⅔cupsall-purpose flour
⅔cupdark cocoa powder
½teaspoonsea salt
½teaspoonbaking powder
½cupsparkling sugar
Mint Matcha Buttercream Frosting
8tablespoonbutter (4 oz), cut into small pieces, room temperature
2 ½ cupspowdered sugar, sifted
2tablespoonmilk
½teaspoonpeppermint extract
1 teaspoonmatcha (green tea powder)
Instructions
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
Place chocolate into a microwave safe container (such as a Pyrex measuring cup). Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Return to microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring carefully between each, until chocolate is fully melted. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy. This will take several minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl down a few times to ensure even mixing.
At low speed, add the eggs one at a time, incorporating the first completely before adding the next. Add the melted chocolate and the vanilla and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix another minute on low.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Add to the butter-chocolate mixture and beat until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated and no pockets of unmixed flour or butter remain.
Cover the dough well and place it in the fridge for an hour (or longer) to chill.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Place sparkling sugar into a small bowl. Portion dough into rough 1 ½ tablespoon balls and roll between your hands to smooth them out. Roll each of them into the sparkling sugar until well coated, and space 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Using a round object such as the end of a spoon, gently and slowly press a circular shape into the middle of each dough ball. (I found the slower I did this, the less likely the edges were to crack.) Chill for 20 minutes in the freezer.
Bake in the middle rack for 13 minutes. After removing the cookies from the oven, use the same round object to gently re-form the depressions in the cookie again. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
Mint Matcha Buttercream Filling
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high for several minutes until light. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat for another minute.
Add powdered sugar, milk, peppermint extract and matcha. Beat on low until powdered sugar is incorporated. Scrape bowl to ensure thorough blending of all ingredients. Beat at medium speed for several minutes.
Place buttercream into a pastry bag fitted with a large french tip (I used a Wilton 4B). Holding the piping bag about an inch above the thumbprint, pipe a generous star shape onto each cookie, lifting the bag straight up and away after releasing pressure.
Notes
Adapted from a chocolate thumbprint recipe in The Cookie Book by Rebecca Firth, with appreciation.