Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

These cookies should come with a warning label

 So softly sweet and intensely chocolaty, it will be hard to stop at just one!

Do you still have a bunch of chocolate eggs, left over from Easter, rolling around your kitchen counters, like I do??
If not, there are two reasonable explanations.
First, and most obvious, you ate waaaaay too much chocolate this past couple of weeks. But, from a chocolate addict to another, I'm NOT going to judge you! 
Second, you didn't buy enough chocolate eggs. How could you?!? There are so many choices when it comes to Easter eggs, all (or most) so delicate and delicious. Small enough to secretly hide .... I mean: Small enough to "easily carry" in your purse or backpack. Just in case that low blood sugar or emergency chocolate craving hit you. Did you know you're always supposed to have chocolate with you? Always! ...You never know :)

Well, if you do have some extra chocolate in your cupboards, here is something I'm sure you'll want to try. 

These chocolate cookies are light, softly sweet and intensely chocolaty. With a cakey and fudgy texture, and a brownie like flavor. Not too sweet, and just perfectly dense. And if that's not enough, they are topped with a lusciously creamy chocolate egg. It's almost too hard to describe the melt-in-your mouth feeling when you first bite onto the cookie and the soft chocolate (or caramel) will explode in your mouth. To die for :)

For the dough, I used leftover milk chocolate eggs. But you can really use any good quality chocolate for this part. 
On top of the cookies, I used the small Lindt chocolate eggs. These have a soft, melted milk chocolate inner center. So rich and creamy, perfect for these cookies! If you are wondering, this post is not sponsored by Lindt. I just really, really, REALLY love their chocolate. A great alternative are those small, caramel filled chocolate eggs, like what Cadbury makes. 
If you want to try this recipe, but you don't have or can't find chocolate eggs anymore, you can still do these with any small chocolate bar. But I strongly recommend something with a soft center that is easier to bite into while munching on the cookies. 

Now tell me, which one would you like?
Dark and dangerous, all chocolate sprinkles? Or fun and colorful, rainbow sprinkles?!? 

Enjoy :)

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients: to make about 24 cookies

• 4 oz (115 gr) unsalted butter, soften at room temperature*
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups (225 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (20 gr) of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2  teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3.5 oz (100 gr) of good quality chocolate (I used 14 Dove milk chocolate eggs) 
• about 24 small chocolate eggs (with a soft center or filled with caramel) I used small Lindt chocolate eggs
• chocolate or rainbow sprinkles

*remember to take out the butter half hour (or more) before you start the recipe

Directions:

1. In a bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk together and set aside for later.

2. Melt the chocolate eggs in a double boiler or in the microwave. I use the microwave set on high for 30 seconds. Stir and melt some more if necessary, in 10 second increments.

  
3. Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract. Mix. Add the melted chocolate and blend some more.

5. Stir in the dry ingredients. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes, or until dough is easy to work with.

6. Preheat the oven to 375° F  (190° C). Scoop about 1 tablespoons of dough and shape into a ball. Roll it into chocolate or rainbow color sprinkles until coated. Press a thumb in the middle of each cookie. Note: the thumbprint will mostly fill when baking, but I think it's a good idea to do it anyways. It will be easier to stick in the chocolate egg and keep it  in place.

7. Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving at least one inch between each.  Bake for about 9 to 10  minutes.

8. Move the cookies to a cooling rack. Wait a couple of minutes, and when still warm (but not too hot) gently press the chocolate egg in the middle. The cookie should be not too hot (to completely melt the chocolate egg) but warm enough, so that the egg will be easily placed, will slightly melt and stick to the cookie . NOTE: Don't touch the chocolate eggs or the cookies until completely cooled down, because the soft, inner part of the chocolate egg might spill out ... unless of course you are moving the cookie to put it in your mouth, so you can really enjoy the warm cookie and the melted chocolate egg.

So yummy :)