Description
Delight in these classic Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies topped with charming Chocolate Footballs, perfect for holidays or special occasions. The buttery cookies are coated in colorful sprinkles and paired with decorated chocolate candies, blending rich flavors and playful textures. This recipe includes tips for handling chocolate and shaping cookies for the best results.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup nonpareil sprinkles
Chocolate Footballs
- 1 ½ cups dark or milk melting chocolate
- ½ cup white melting chocolate
Instructions
- Prepare Chocolate Footballs: Melt the dark or milk chocolate in a double boiler or microwave at 50% power until smooth. Transfer into a disposable piping bag, then pipe into football candy mold cavities. Tap the mold lightly on the counter to release air bubbles. Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes until firm, then turn the mold over and tap to release the chocolate footballs.
- Decorate Footballs: Melt the white chocolate using the same method and transfer to a piping bag with a small round tip or snip a tiny corner. Pipe lace designs onto the footballs. Refrigerate for about 5 minutes until firm. Set aside in the freezer during cookie baking to keep cool.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the nonpareil sprinkles into a shallow bowl for coating the dough balls.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In an electric mixer bowl, cream together the room temperature butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Add Flour: Add the all-purpose flour and beat just until combined to form the dough, avoiding overmixing.
- Form and Coat Dough Balls: Using a 1 tablespoon scoop, portion the dough and roll each into a ball. Roll each ball completely in the nonpareil sprinkles to coat.
- Chill Dough Balls: Place the coated dough balls spaced about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to prevent spreading during baking.
- Bake Cookies: Remove baking sheet from fridge and bake cookies for 12 minutes until the bottoms turn golden while the tops remain light colored. Remove cookies from oven and cool for about 2 minutes on the sheet.
- Top Cookies with Footballs: Take the chocolate footballs out of the freezer and gently press one onto each warm cookie, allowing slight adhesion without melting the chocolate.
- Chill to Set Chocolate: Transfer the cookies to a cutting board or platter and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to firm up the chocolate while the cookies finish cooling.
- Store Properly: Once cool and firm, store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to two weeks, using wax paper between layers if stacking.
Notes
- Chilling the dough balls before baking helps prevent spreading and ensures rounded cookies ideal for thumbprints.
- Freezing the chocolate footballs while baking minimizes melting when placed on the warm cookies.
- Refrigerate cookies after topping to speed up firming of the chocolate; room temperature cooling is slower and may cause melting.
- If no football mold is available or time is limited, substitute with unwrapped small chocolate Easter eggs and pipe white chocolate laces directly on them.
- Consider using ethically sourced chocolate or homemade chocolate kisses in place of commercial options that may lack fair trade certification.
- For shipping, layer cookies with wax paper and add tissue paper between the top layer and lid to prevent movement and damage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 108 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
