Choocolate Sprinkle Thumbprint Cookies with Nutella or dulce de leche
This is a shortbread dough that is rolled in chocolate sprinkles and filled with a store-bought nutella or a DIY dulce de leche. The perfect addition to the holiday cookie tray.
½cupNutellaor Dulce le leche (directions for dulce le leche in the notes)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; set aside.
2½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt
Using an stand mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture. Beat over low speed until a dough forms (about one more minute).
1 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Scoop out a tablespoon of dough with an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon and roll it into a ball. Roll each dough ball into the chocolate sprinkles and place on the baking sheet, at least 1” apart.Make a slight indentation with your finger or the back of a spoon in the center of all the cookies. Do not push the indentation all the way to the bottom of the dough ball. Don’t worry if the dough cracks a bit.Bake for 10 minutes, then make a deeper indentation in the middle, and bake for an additional 5-8 minutes. The cookies will be light in color rather than golden brown. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate sprinkles
Once the cookies are cool, spoon in some nutella or dulce de leche filling (directions for dulce de leche in notes section).
1/2 cup Nutella
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
Directions for Dulce de Leche:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Pour one can (14 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk) into a baking dish, the size of which will fit into a larger roasting pan. Add a pinch of salt.
Set the baking dish inside the roasting pan and fill the roasting pan with water about halfway up the side of the baking dish.
Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Check after 1 hour to see if the milk is light brown and caramelized, and give it a little more time if needed, in 10 minute increments.
Remove from oven and let cool. After it is thoroughly cooled, whisk the Dulce de Leche until smooth.
Store in refrigerator and warm it up slightly before using.
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