Holiday Thumbprints

 

3/4

cup sugar

3/4

cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2

teaspoon vanilla

1

egg

1 3/4

cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

3

tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa

1/4

teaspoon salt

Betty Crocker® decorating decors or crushed hard peppermint candies, if desired

1/4

cup whipping cream

1

cup milk chocolate chips

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat sugar, butter, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, cocoa and salt until dough forms.
• 2 Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls about 2 inches apart. Press thumb or end of wooden spoon into center of each cookie, but do not press all the way to the cookie sheet.
• 3 Bake 7 to 11 minutes or until edges are firm. If necessary, quickly remake indentations with end of wooden spoon. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• 4 Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate chips until melted. Cool about 10 minutes or until thickened.
• 5 Spoon rounded 1/2 teaspoon filling into indentation in each cookie. Top with decors.