So, I'm running behind this holiday season. Frankly, my whole family is. Well, maybe not my dad - he's a speed shopper. I have a feeling my grandma and I are on track to repeat last year's mad dash for Christmas presents. The late Thanksgiving threw me off! We still have leftover cranberry sauce in the middle of December! Regardless, the week before Christmas is cookie time in this house, and that holiday tradition is well on its way.

A beloved tradition that started after seeing piles of cookies at a relatives house. Shortly after, my 7 year old mind was filled with visions of Christmas cookies of all kinds. After my mom told me her grandma did the same, baking half a dozens kinds of cookies by the hundreds, we started a tradition of our own. Since then, the days leading up to Christmas are partly dedicated to baking a handful of our favorite cookies to be gifted and munched on for the rest of the month.

We’ve settled happily on 4 types of cookies. My mom makes Biscotti, some with cranberries and some with nuts, enjoyed by dunking in milk or wine during the sleepy hour following Christmas day lunch. I enjoy the long but relaxing task of making thumbprint cookies, or “jewel” cookies as we usually call them, fondly referring to the vibrant jam that fills the center. The two of us work together to make the snowballs and shortbread cutouts, and the oven finally gets it’s break.

This year, however, a few new cookies have made their way into the mix! My dad decided to join in on the cookie making, contributing his first go at Rugelach. Mom made a batch of yummy Chocolate Gingerbread, trying to replicate some cookies her friend made last year. I didn’t necessarily set out to make a new type of cookie, but I knew I wanted to make something chocolate hazelnut flavored. I toyed with the idea of a yule log and a pie, but landed on a variation of my speciality.

We spent the day baking and packing up tins of cookies to send to family and friends. Here's hoping they get there in time! And still, the baking continues. Amidst our usual lineup of Snowballs and Jam-filled Thumbprint Cookies, I squeezed in a new addition to our holiday baking: Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies.

Surprisingly, we were missing something chocolatey in our cookies. I switched up the tender shortbread of regular thumbprints by adding some cocoa powder and replaced the pecans with hazelnuts. Instead of a jam-filled center, the thumbprints are filled with a creamy dark chocolate ganache (and an extra hazelnut for fun - makes it more like baci!)

As the cookies bake, it brings out the lovely warmth of roasted hazelnuts. Soft, buttery chocolate cookies, wrapped in a layer of hazelnuts with a luscious chocolate filling... these guys are keepers. Chocolate and hazelnuts found their way among our Christmas cookies this year, and surely for years to come.

This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies. But, this recipe can easily be doubled to suit all of your cookie baking needs this holiday season.

Happy Holidays and Happy Baking!

*This post is not sponsored. Special thanks to Nestle Tollhouse for sending me their Dark Chocolate Morsels from their Artisan Collection, and tasking me with creating another yummy treat with their baking chips! The official collab is over on Instagram. You can keep up with me and an amazing group of small food bloggers by following #tollhousetribe. Thanks so much for your support!

You can also check out my Chocolate Almond Orange Cake (Gluten Free), the first chocolatey recipe in collaboration with Nestle Tollhouse.

Chocolate hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1 egg, separated

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup hazelnuts, finely chopped

For the Ganache

• 4 oz dark or semisweet chocolate chips

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and creamy. Add the vanilla extract, egg yolk, and salt, mixing until combined. Mix in the cocoa powder and flour until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated.

3. Before forming the cookies, set up an area with your prepared baking sheets, egg white, and hazelnuts.

   Using your hands or a spoon, roll the dough in 1-inch balls. Once all of the cookies have been rolled, toss them a couple at a time in the egg white, then roll in the chopped hazelnuts. Transfer coated cookies back to baking sheet and make a well in the center by pressing your thumb into the dough.

   Chill for at least 30 minutes before baking. (This is an important step, since we are not filling the cookies until baked. The chilling helps keep the wells from filling in or flattening out too much in the oven!)

4. After chilling, bake for about 10 minutes. Let cool until the cookies have fully set (they will be soft as you first remove them from the oven).

5. Meanwhile, make your ganache. Prepare a double-boiler, or simmer a few inches or water in a pot and place a heatproof bowl over the top for a makeshift option. Melt the dark chocolate and cream together, stirring until smooth and thick.

6. Fill your cooled cookies with about 1 tsp of ganache, and top with a hazelnut!

   If stacking or storing, wait for the chocolate ganache to set completely - about 30 minutes.