Chocolate Thumbprint Cookie Recipe for Cookie Exchanges (2024)

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I love Christmas Cookies and Cookie Exchanges around the holidays are one of my very favorite Christmas traditions. Here are loads and loads of awesome Cookie Exchange Recipes!

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookie Recipe for Cookie Exchanges (1)

I love cookies year around but I love how much baking goes on this time of year so I’m so excited to join up with a bunch of other bloggers for an awesome virtual Great Cookie Exchange.

What is a Cookie Exchange?

I hadn’t gone to a cookie exchange until a couple of years ago and I think they are just brilliant. If you’ve never been to one its a super fun way to get a variety of cookies without having to whip up batches and batches of cookies. How it works is the host invites a bunch of friends. Each attendee brings a few dozen cookies, sometimes the printed out recipe and then a box to bring your cookies home in.

The exchange which can be a quick and dirty gathering, or a more drawn out party with your favorite party foods or even a tasty soup and fresh bread diner. When guests arrive everyone sets their cookies out. But these aren’t for eating at the party.

When directed by the host everyone goes around and adds a few of each cookies to their take home container. This allowed everyone to go home from the cookie exchange party with a box full of different sorts of cookies. It is a blast!

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookie Recipe for Cookie Exchanges (2)

Tons of Cookie Exchange Recipes

Even if you won’t be attending or hosting a cookie exchange this year hear are loads of delicious cookie recipes that you can make. My favorite tip for when you want a variety of holiday cookies without all the work is to save dough throughout the year.

For example, I love to make Halloween cookie gingerbread skeleton. But I don’t really need dozens of gingerbread cookies at Halloween so I’ll save some of the dough in the freezer and use it for Christmas gingerbreads when it’s time.

Most cookie dough can be frozen and used like this!
Chocolate Thumbprint Cookie Recipe for Cookie Exchanges (3)

It is so fun to find new recipes and trade and swap a few batches of one kind for a great assortment of different delicacies!

Here are 40+ delicious cookie exchange recipes so you can find the perfect cookie to take to the party this holiday season! Scroll down to get links to each of the recipes!

Christmas Thumbprint Cookie Recipe

Before I get to all the recipes here is my cookie contribution to the virtual cookie exchange. These easy Christmas Thumbprint Cookies are so festive and are a great make ahead option.

I just love the sprinkle detail on the side. They are fun and festive and perfect for making with the little ones!

Ingredients for Thumbprint Cookies

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • Christmas non-perils
  • 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup

How to Make Thumbprint Cookies

There’s some refrigeration time for these beauties so make sure to plan ahead. You could even do some them spread over a few days. Just make sure to allow some time for the dough to soften a bit if you do.

  1. Mix flour, baking soda and cream of tartar in a small mixing bow.
  2. Cream sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, almond extract together.
  3. Add dry ingredients and mix well.
  4. Divide dough into two logs between wax paper; refrigerate at least 1-2 hours. Slice dough into disks roll in Christmas sprinkles. Press your thumb to form an indention in the middle of each.
  5. Bake at 375 F for 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool.
  6. Microwave the chocolate and corn syrup for 30 seconds and stir. Zap for an additional 10 seconds and stir. Repeat until the chocolate is 80% melted and finish by stirring to melt completely.
  7. Spoon a generous amount of chocolate mixture in and allow to cool and set.

Don’t forget about all the other awesome cookies and be sure to follow along on the Cookie Exchange Pinterest board for year round cookie recipe inspirations!Follow Reasons To Skip The Housework’s board The Cookie Exchange on Pinterest.


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So many creative recipes right!? I’m a sucker for cookies year around. In fact they are one of my treats of choice!

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Chocolate Thumbprint Cookie Recipe for Cookie Exchanges (2024)

FAQs

How many cookies do you need for a cookie exchange? ›

A good rule to follow is for every guest to bake a half dozen cookies per each attendee. So, if 10 people attend, each guest would bring five dozen cookies to share. We've put together a chart to help you figure out just how many cookies to ask your guests to make.

How do you present cookies for a cookie exchange? ›

Ensure you have platters to display the cookies or alert your guests to bring their own. Again, depending on your level of ambition, you might encourage guests to get creative with their presentation. They could display their cookies in a festive basket or holiday-themed tray or inside a gift-wrapped box.

How do you keep thumbprint cookies from spreading? ›

Storing your dough in the fridge helps to harden the fat and prevent your cookies from spreading. Allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Why are my thumbprint cookies falling apart? ›

The dough should be chilled for at least 30 minutes, so that you can shape it into balls and indent without falling apart. Check that your oven temperature isn't too high.

What is the formula for the cookie exchange? ›

Formula: # of cookies divided by # of guests = total number of cookies to take from each guest. Example: If you have everyone make 12 dozen cookies and you are planning on 20 guests you will take 12 dozen multiplied by 12 cookies= 144 cookies; then divide by 20 guests = 7.2 cookies of each variety for each guest.

What are the rules for a cookie exchange? ›

The Etiquette Of The Cookie Swap
  1. Remember: It's not a competition. ...
  2. Coordinate ahead of time. ...
  3. Make enough for everyone. ...
  4. Bring something homemade. ...
  5. Yes, you should still bring a host gift. ...
  6. Label your cookies for allergens. ...
  7. Bring cookies and a story. ...
  8. Hold off on seconds.
Jan 5, 2022

How many dozen cookies for cookie exchange? ›

2 dozen per guest is a good minimum so everyone has a few to bring home. 6 dozen is a good maximum if everyone wants lots of cookies to take home. Ask ahead for any allergies among your guests so you can make accommodations.

How do I host a cookie exchange for kids? ›

Invite friends.

Figure out your guest list of who your child would like to invite to the party. Send a paper or digital invitation. Ask each guest to bring one dozen cookies – 6 for a platter of cookies to share, and 6 for kids to take home. Be sure to include yourself in the count of guests.

Should you fill thumbprint cookies before or after baking? ›

Thumbprint cookies should be filled before baking. This gives the jam time in the oven to firm up and set a little.

Do thumbprint cookies need to be refrigerated? ›

Store the cooled thumbprint cookies in an airtight container at room temperature on the counter. You don't have to refrigerate the cookies. I don't recommend stacking the cookies because of the jam. These cookies will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

Why are my thumbprint cookies cracking when putting thumbprint? ›

Thumbprints crack if the dough is too cold or pressed to aggressively. I recommend using your index finger and pressing firmly but make the indent slowly.

What is the shelf life of thumbprint cookies? ›

When does Thumbprint Cookies expire? Thumbprint cookies, whether homemade or store-bought, generally maintain their best quality for up to 1 to 2 weeks at normal room temperature. If you store your cookies in the fridge, you can extend their life to about 3 weeks.

Can I add an extra egg to cookie dough? ›

If you prefer your cookies chewy rather than crispy, adding extra yolks will create a softer and more tender final product, and you can even save the extra whites for another dessert or dish. For best results, Serious Eats recommends adding one extra yolk per whole egg that your cookie recipe calls for.

What ingredient makes a cookie crumbly? ›

There are several reasons why the cookies may have become dry and crumbly but the two most likely are that either the cookies were baked for too long or too much flour was added to the dough.

How many cookies should you give as a gift? ›

Decide how many cookies or pieces of fudge will make up a gift. Four is a good number to start with for an individual. Many cookie recipes, including my Hershey Kiss Cookie recipe, make 48 cookies. That's 12 potential gifts right there!

Can you bring store bought cookies to a cookie exchange? ›

Anyone who is not a good baker might feel like they can't attend. If you're fine with store bought consider specifying that they need to be high quality cookies from a real bakery, not a grocery store bakery.

How many cookies should be in a gift box? ›

Choose recipes that have a yield of at least 24 cookies, especially if you have many boxes to fill. For example, if you bake six different cookie recipes that all yield 24 cookies, you can pack six gift boxes with four of each cookie. Each box will make a bountiful gift of two dozen assorted cookies.

Can I have 1 cookie? ›

As long as your overall diet is healthy, namely a variety of foods, mostly plants, not too much or too little, and as long as your total added sugar doesn't average more than 5% of your daily calories (roughly 25 grams for an adult male) then a cookie is completely harmless.

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