A thumbprint cookie with chocolate dough, rolled in almonds and stuffed with a cherry from a cherry preserve or pie filling in the center.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups finely chopped almonds
3/4 cup cherry preserves with whole cherries (or cherry pie filling – may need more than stated amount if you use the pie filling)
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a small bowl. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium, and add egg yolks, milk, and vanilla. Scrape sides of bowl. Beat in flour mixture until just combined. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, and dip each in egg white and then roll in chopped almonds. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. With the handle of a wooden spoon, press gently in the center of each to create an indentation. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are just set, about 10 minutes. (If indentations lose definition, press centers again before cooled.) Let cool slightly on baking sheets. Transfer cookies to wire racks, and let cool completely. When cool, spoon 1/2 teaspoon of cherry preserves into the indentation of each cookie. If possible, make sure there is a whole cherry in each cookie. Place chocolate chips in a zip-lock plastic baggie. Microwave for 30 seconds; remove bag, knead to mix up chocolate, and microwave for 20 seconds more. Repeat until chocolate is melted but not too hot (or the baggie will burst). With a sharp scissors, snip off a very small corner of the baggie. Drizzle melted chocolate over cookies. Cool completely before serving.