I must tell you a secret.

It is a dark secret.

But not because it's bad.

In fact, it's very good.

It's dark because it is DARK CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO THUMBPRINT COOKIES.

Some of the best, greatest, most chocolate, smooth, wonderful, small, yummy, chocolaty, rich, fattening, wonderful, chocolate cokies in the entire world.

And I mean that.

These cookies are the BEST for wintertime, especially if you put crushed up peperming candy canes on top. But I'm not here to talk about candy canes, I'm here because of a good friend of mine, named Chocolate. And Espresso. How about Espresso Chocolate?

While the cookeis are good, the dough being sweet, but not overly sweet, it's the inside filling that makes these cookeis special.

The inside is smooth, creamy, kind of like the inside of those round Lindor chocolates that are sold. Only in cookie form.

Don't worry, the calorie count is worth the cookie. And because they're small, you can have two of them. I challenge you to make them.

If you do make them, leave a comment telling me what you think of this recipe :)
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Image and recipe copyright to Betty Crocker.

Recipe

Ingredients
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking cocoa (sifted)
1/4 teaspoon salt

1: Heat oven to 350*F. Beat sugar, butter, vnailla and eggin large bowl with electric mixer. Stir in flour, cocoa and salt.

2: Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into 1-inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreases (or greased) cookie sheet. Press thumb or small spoon into center of each cookie, but do not press all the way to the cookies sheet.

3: bake 7-11 minutes, or until edges are firm. Quickly remake indentations with the spoon while still warm. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Fill with espresso filling*

Espresso Filling

Ingredients
1/4 cup whipping cream (heavy)
2 teaspoons espresso coffe (dry)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoo coffee flavered liquer (optional)

1: Mix whipping cream and instand coffee in 1-quard saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming and coffee is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate chips until melted. Stir in liquear (optional). Cool about 10 minutes or until thickened.

2: Spoon 1/2 teaspoon espresso filling into indentation in each cookies. Top with candy sprinkels (optional).