Maple Spice Thumbprint Cookies Two Ways

http://veggieandthebeastfeast.com/2013/12/18/maple-spice-thumbprint-cookies-two-ways/

Soft, chewy spice cookies sweetened with maple syrup, and filled with your choice of Nutella and sea salt or smooth dark chocolate.

YIELD: 32 cookies

PREP TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 10 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Maple Spice Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoons ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 cup butter, softened

• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for rolling)

Nutella Filling

• 32 teaspoons Nutella

• Sea salt

Dark Chocolate Filling

• 1 cup dark (70%+ cocoa) chocolate chips

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, cream the butter, then add the white and dark brown sugars and beat until creamy. Mix in the egg, vanilla and maple syrup.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, making sure the flour is fully incorporated.

Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Fill a shallow bowl with 1/4 cup sugar. Scoop up a tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball, then roll in the sugar. Place on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake 8-9 minutes. Immediately when they come out of the oven, use your thumb, a wine cork, or a muddle stick to put a circular indent in the center of each cookie.

For the Nutella Filling: Fill each cookie with 1 teaspoon Nutella and a sprinkle of sea salt.

For the Dark Chocolate Filling: Bring a pot of water to a low boil. Set a glass bowl on top of the pot so that the bottom is not touching the boiling water. Add the coconut oil and the chocolate chips to the bowl, and stir until the mixture is melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

Spoon a little melted chocolate into the indent of each cookie. They can be eaten immediately, but the chocolate will take about an hour to set, so if you bite in beware of dripping chocolate!