Description
Gingerbear thumbprint cookies bring warmth and whimsy to holiday dessert tables with their spicy-sweet charm. Festive guests will delight in these charming treats that blend traditional ginger spices with playful bear-shaped indentations and rich jam centers.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup white sugar, plus extra for rolling
- 1/3 cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 pinch allspice
Filling:
- 1/2 cup white chocolate
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon molasses
- 1 pinch ginger
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch salt
Decoration:
- Black Candy Melts
Instructions
- Prepare two parchment-lined cookie sheets and cream butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until airy and smooth. Incorporate molasses, egg, and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.
- Gently fold in dry ingredients: flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cloves, and allspice until just combined.
- Form tablespoon-sized dough balls, coating each in sugar. Create a main body ball with two smaller ear-shaped balls positioned at the top.
- Chill cookie shapes in refrigerator for 15 minutes while preheating oven to 350°F.
- Bake cookies 10-12 minutes until edges are set. Immediately create center indentations using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon. Allow 5-minute cooling period before transferring to wire rack.
- Prepare filling by microwaving white chocolate, cream, molasses, and spices in 30-second intervals, stirring until perfectly smooth. Carefully spoon 1/2 teaspoon of filling into each cookie indentation and let set for 15 minutes.
- Melt black Candy Melts and delicately pipe bear facial features. Allow decorations to completely set before serving.
Notes
- Chill dough before baking to prevent spreading and maintain bear shape.
- Use room temperature ingredients for smoother, more even cookie texture.
- Customize spice blend by adjusting ginger, cinnamon, or adding ground cardamom for unique flavor profile.
- For gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with almond or gluten-free blend, ensuring similar consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg