Peppermint Icing Thumbprint Cookies

close up of a sugar thumbprint cookie topped with a swirl of peppermint frosting and crushed peppermint candies on a platter

Peppermint Icing Thumbprint Cookies

These delicate cookies have a great mix of textures. The mildly sweet butter cookie is a wonderful contrast to the sweet peppermint buttercream icing. *Recipe from 101 Christmas Recipes by Gooseberry Patch

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 10

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 93kcal

Author Amee

Ingredients

For the cookie

⅔ cup butter softened
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 egg beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Garnish: finely crushed candy canes

For the filling

¼ cup butter softened
¼ tsp peppermint extract
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
2-3 tsp whole milk or half and half

Instructions

Using an electric mixer on low speed, blend softened butter, sugar, and salt until smooth and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Beat in as much flour as possible with the mixer, then stir in any remaining flour by hand (you can also use the stir setting on a stand mixer).
Cover and chill for one hour. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Shape dough into one-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on the ungreased lined baking sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden around edges (very lightly golden…these should be soft when cooled.)
Remove from oven; lightly press a thumbprint in the center of each cookie (they don't have to be deep since you are piping icing on top). Allow cookies to cool completely.
While the cookies cool, make the icing: blend butter and extract. Gradually add powdered sugar and half & half to a piping consistency.
Pipe filling into centers with a star tip. Sprinkle immediately with crushed candy canes so they will stick before the icing starts to set.

Notes

- Yes, you must chill the dough first. Trust me, chilled dough is much easier to work with. It also helps prevent the dough from spreading too much during baking. We’re aiming for soft, perfectly plump cookies – not flat.
- Roll and space the dough evenly. Roll the chilled dough into 1-inch balls (a small cookie scoop is good for this), and space them at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. They won’t spread a ton, but a little breathing room helps the heat circulate consistently.
- Don’t overbake. For best results, pull the cookies from the oven when they’re still soft and just lightly golden around the edges. They’ll firm up as they cool, keeping the centers tender and delicate.
- Press the thumbprints right out of the oven, while the cookies are still warm and pliable. If you wait too long, the cookies may crack instead of creating a neat little pocket for the frosting.
- I usually double this recipe because they disappear fast! This recipe makes small 1.5" cookies, so if you want to make them larger, just double the batch.

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