Back to Christmas cookies! I have given some other sweet treats a chance to make it on the coffee table but today on the third Advent Sunday we have to go back to the basics – good old-fashioned Christmas cookies ;)
Thumbprint cookies are pretty easy to make – form little balls of the size of a cherry or walnut and give them your thumbprint on top to make room for a filling – that is basically it ;)
Well, you also have to mix and knead the ingredients to a smooth dough, but that is done very quick actually – that does not really count. My version of the thumbprint cookies are made with a little nougat filling and sprinkled hazelnuts – I think a very good combination actually. The original recipe was asking for a caramel filling, but I was just too lazy to make caramel, so the nougat became the star on those cookies instead ;)

INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(about 45 pieces)
For the dough:
1 cup (220g) butter, softened
3/4 cup (170g) brown sugar
1 vanilla pod
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs (medium)
2 1/2 cups (320g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
For the decoration:
1 cup (130g) hazelnuts, chopped
1/2 cup (60g) ground hazelnuts
7 oz. (200g) nougat
3.5 oz. (100g) semi-sweet chocolate coating
(ca. 45 Stück)
Für den Teig:
220g weiche Butter
170g brauner Zucker
1 Vanilleschote
1/2 TL Salz
2 Eier (Größe M)
320g Mehl
1 TL Backpulver
Für die Dekoration:
130g gehackte Haselnüsse
60g gemahlene Haselnüsse
200g Nougat
100g Zartbitter Kuvertüre


DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Split the vanilla pod lenghtwise and remove the seeds. Add butter, sugar , vanilla seeds and salt to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and knead until you get a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let cool down in the fridge for 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Mix the chopped and gound hazelnuts in a small bowl. Take the dough out of the fridge and form into a long roll and cut off small pieces of the same size. With wet hands (the dough is sticky) form small balls – size should be between a cherry and a walnut. Roll these balls in the hazelnut mix and place them with enough space inbetween on the baking sheets. With the back end of a wooden spoon make a small hole into the balls. Bake for 12-14 minutes. If the holes dissapeared (happens if the dough is too soft) during baking, carefully press again a hole with the wooden spoon in the cookies. Let cool on a wire rack.
3. Warm the chocolate coating and the nougat in seperate bowls and fill into two piping bags. Place a small amount of nougat in every hole on the cookies and then sprinkle the melted chocolate on top. Let dry completely before storing in a tin box.
1. Die Vanilleschote längs aufschlitzen und das Mark herauskratzen. Butter, Zucker, Vanillemark und Salz in einer großen Schüssel luftig aufschlagen. Eier einzeln zugeben und jeweils gut unterrühren. Mehl und Backpulver in die Schüssel sieben und alles zu einem glatten Teig verkneten. In Klarsichtfolie einschlagen und im Kühlschrank für 1 Stunde kühlen.
2. Den Ofen auf 180°C (350°F) vorheizen. Zwei Backbleche mit Backpapier auslegen. Die gehackten und gemahlenen Haselnüsse in einer kleinen Schüssel vermischen. Den Teig aus dem Kühlschrank nehmen und in eine lange Rolle formen. Gleich große Stücke abschneiden und mit nassen Händen (der Teig wird klebrig sein) zu kleinen Kugeln formen – die Größe sollte irgendwo zwischen einer Kirsche und einer Walnuss liegen. Die Kugeln in den Haselnüssen wälzen und mit genügend Abstand auf die Bleche legen (gehen beim Backen noch auseinander). Mit dem Ende eines Holzlöffels kleine Mulden in die Kugeln drücken und für 12-14 Minuten backen. Sollten die Mulden verlaufen sein (passiert, wenn der Teig zu weich ist), vorsichtig mit dem Holzlöffel nacharbeiten. Auf einem Kuchengitter auskühlen lassen.
3. Das Nougat und die Kuvertüre in zwei separaten Schüsseln erwärmen und dann in je einen Spritzbeutel füllen. Eine kleine Menge Nougat in jede Mulde füllen und dann mit der Kuvertüre verzieren. Komplett trocknen lassen und dann in einer Blechdose lagern.


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Hazelnut Nougat Thumbprint Cookies
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 14
- Total Time: 120
- Yield: 45 1x
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup (220g) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (170g) brown sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs (medium)
- 2 1/2 cups (320g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
For the decoration
- 1 cup (130g) hazelnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup (60g) ground hazelnuts
- 7 oz. (200g) nougat
- 3.5 oz. (100g) semi-sweet chocolate coating
Instructions
- Split the vanilla pod lenghtwise and remove the seeds. Add butter, sugar , vanilla seeds and salt to a large bowl and mix until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and knead until you get a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let cool down in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with baking parchment. Mix the chopped and gound hazelnuts in a small bowl. Take the dough out of the fridge and form into a long roll and cut off small pieces of the same size. With wet hands (the dough is sticky) form small balls – size should be between a cherry and a walnut. Roll these balls in the hazelnut mix and place them with enough space inbetween on the baking sheets. With the back end of a wooden spoon make a small hole into the balls. Bake for 12-14 minutes. If the holes dissapeared (happens if the dough is too soft) during baking, carefully press again a hole with the wooden spoon in the cookies. Let cool on a wire rack.
- Warm the chocolate coating and the nougat in seperate bowls and fill into two piping bags. Place a small amount of nougat in every hole on the cookies and then sprinkle the melted chocolate on top. Let dry completely before storing in a tin box.
Notes
- Enjoy baking!
I prepared these cookies and they came out great, are amongst my favorites.
I made these cookies today and they were amazing! Buttery with a delicious amount of hazelnut and chocolate. These will definitely be on my baking list each Christmas. I think there one of my favorites. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes over the next week, they bring me back to my childhood and remind me of things my Oma would make :)