These cookies are a delight in every way. They are easy to make, and have a rich chocolate flavor, along with a lovely texture. Paired with the vanilla bean glaze, they are likely to become a favorite of yours too. I can’t remember where I first found this recipe, but I’ve had it for quite awhile, so most likely a friend or relative passed it along to me. No step by step photos of the dough being made, but it is a very straighforward recipe.
1 cup soft butter
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
Beat the butter until uniformly creamed. Beat in sugar, then the eggs, one at a time, until nicely fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then the cocoa powder, and finally the salt, baking powderr and flour, making sure that everything is completely incorporated. Divide the dough into two pieces and flatten each one into a flat disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill at least an hour. I think the final flavor and texture are both improved by being refrigerated overnight – the chocolate flavor gets more intense and the flour gets hydrated, but if you don’t have time to let them sit that long, it is not of utmost importance. If you leave them overnight, let the dough sit on the counter for 30 minutes or so, but if you chill just an hour, they will be ready to roll out.
Make sure your table or counter is well dusted with flour, and roll from the center, out to the edge, turning the dough after each roll with the pin. How thick to roll it is up to you – thin and the cookies will be more crisp, thick and they will be softer. 
I like about an eight of an inch, though obviously, I am a little on the casual side when it comes to my rolling technique, so some are thicker than others. Keep a little pile of flour off to the side and swish your cookie cutters through it so that they don’t stick to the dough. I used stars, because these cookies are called Chocolate Sugar Stars, but you can call your Chocolate Sugar Trees, or Chocolate Sugar Santas, or Chocolate Sugar Whatevercookiecuttersyouhave.
This dough is easy to work with and you can re-roll it several times to use all the scraps, without noticing much of a change in the texture. Brush any excess flour off the cut-out cookies and arrange them on a parchment lined, or greased heavy baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes and cool completely on a wire rack. 
Though the taste will remain wonderful for more than a week, the glaze does tend to lose its sheen after a couple days, so if you want these to look extra special for a party or gift, do the glaze early the day you want to serve them.
I used a fresh vanilla bean for the glaze, but you can use extract for the flavoring. If using a vanilla bean, you might want to strip out the insides and mix it with the powdered sugar a day or two ahead of time, to really intensify the flavor. Mix together, until smooth
2 cups confectionary sugar
pinch of salt
scraping from one medium vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3-4 tablespoons cream or half and half
It should be thin enough to coat the cookie tops without running down the sides too much – you can thin it with a few drops more of the cream, but be careful not to get it too thin. Dip each cookie in the glaze and shake lightly to remove excess, and leave in a single layer on a wire rack until the tops are comepletely dry. If you want to sprinkle on any decorations, do it right after glazing, because it will not stick later on.
These will stay fresh for a couple weeks in an airtight container. If you want to freeze them, I would wait to glaze until after thawing.
You can make yourself a whole constellation!
Looking for more Christams baking recipes? Here you go!
Readers have requested that I make some photos available for purchase this Christmas. I was reluctant to do this, not sure that I would have time to do a good job of matting and framing. So instead, I decided to offer my favorite photo of the year – this one of a sunflower, called Sunny Face. Rather than do the work myself, I have chosen a fulfilment company that does spectacular work when it comes to matting and framing, and that has amazing turnaround time, as far as shipping.
I’m offering two configurations and three sizes. Add 4 inches to each print to account for the frame and matte – so a 5×5 photo will be approximately 9×9 in the finished size. These are beautiful frames with non-glare glass and a quality matte.
This is not a cookie I’ve made every year, and I am not sure why, because I love them. In looking for a recipe I wanted to use this year, I realized that I could do a little tweaking to raise the ordinary jam thumbprint up to a new level. For instance, there seem to be two main schools of though on how to coat them before baking. You have either ground nuts or coconut. “Why not have both those flavors in there?”, I asked myself. And then there are a few methods for baking as well – are they better with the jam in the cookie from the start, inserted half way through the baking time or after the cookies are baked entirely? And why don’t you ever find any recipes for these that contain lemon zest? I ask you – What goes better with sweet fruity flavors than lemon zest? The answers to these deep, penetrating questions resulted in the the fabulous cookies you see here today. If I may make a friendly suggestion – include these babies in your Christmas baking this year. Having answers to life’s most intriguing puzzles can be a very satisfying thing.
Beat in
Mix in
Finally, mix in
Chill the dough for an hour or so. If you chill it longer – and you certainly can – take it out of the fridge an hour or so before you are ready to bake them, as it will be too hard to work with comfortably otherwise. In an shallow bowl, lightly beat two of the reserved egg whites, saving the other for another use. In another shallow bowl, have 1 cup finely chopped walnuts. Use a small [2 teaspoon size] cookie scoop to portion the dough. Roll each cookie between your palms until it is uniformly round. Roll in the egg white, and then in the nuts, making sure to cover the entire outside with the nuts.
Place a couple inches apart on a parchment lined, or greased baking sheet. Use the handle end of a wooden spoon to poke a deep dent into each cookie. I hold the forefinger and thumb of my other hand around each cookie while I am poking the hole. This helps prevent the edges from cracking, which would leave a way for the jam to run out. If one cracks a bit, just gently push it back together. Fill each hole with a small dollop of whatever jam you prefer. I did half of them cherry and half raspberry for this batch. Don’t overfill, because in the course of baking, the jam will bubble up quite a bit and if they are too full, it will run out. I prefer to put the jam in at the start, because I think it melds into the cookie better, and they will store better than if you add it later on. It is up to you though – if you decide to add it after baking, just make sure to gently press the dent back into the centers after baking.
Bake for 15 – 16 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely on a wire rack. Use caution when tasting them right after baking – the jam will be very hot
These keep well and I think they are even bettter a few days later. Be prepared for the inevitable though – you will never be happy with your old recipe again!
