Birthday Cookies

This is Callie:

Today is Callie's birthday! In honor of her special day, I made her some birthday cookies. To me, these definitely look like party cookies. The kisses are like little party hats and the sprinkles are like lots of confetti. And even better, they taste really good!

 

I came across these cookies on The Curvy Carrot and loved how they looked. Callie loves chocolate (especially dark chocolate) so they seemed like perfect cookies for her.

I got to baking...

A few things to get set up before making the cookies:

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees

-Line cookie sheets with parchment paper

-Set up bowls with sprinkles for dipping

-Unwrap your kisses

Now to make the dough...

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds.

Add sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined.

Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.

Beat in the flour. I did this in several installments to try to prevent making a bigger mess than I already had.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls, and roll balls in sprinkles to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on your lined cookie sheets.

Use your thumb to make an indentation in the center of each cookie.

Bake for 7-8 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove from from oven and immediately press a kiss into the center of each cookie.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Recipe for Birthday Cookies (aka Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies)

Makes 20 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter (10 2/3 tbsp), softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder (Ghirardelli's is the best!)
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup chocolate or rainbow sprinkles - I used both
• 20 kisses unwrapped (I used half dark chocolate and half milk chocolate with caramel centers)

Directions:

1. Prep: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Measure sprinkles into bowl(s). Unwrap kisses.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium-high speed for 30 seconds.
3. Add sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Beat until combined, scarping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
4. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
5. Beat in the flour (a little at a time, not all at once).
6. The dough should be at ball-rolling consistency now. If its not, put it in the refrigerator to chill for 10-15 minutes.
7. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in sprinkles to coat and place 2 inches apart on your lined cookie sheets. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each cookie.
8. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove from oven and immediately press a kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

I put dark chocolate kisses in the cookies with chocolate sprinkles...

...and milk chocolate with caramel kisses in the cookies with the rainbow sprinkles!

I packaged the cookies up (with some extra kisses for snacking)...

...and sent them with Pat. Pat works about a mile from Callie's house, so whenever I need to give her something and I don't have plans to see her, he's the delivery boy.

My apartment looks like there was a birthday party in it - cocoa powder is covering the counter tops and there are chocolate and rainbow sprinkles all over the floor. Whoops. 

Callie, I hope you enjoy your birthday cookies and have a great day! XOXO