Rosemary White Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies (Easy Shortbread Recipe)
These rosemary white chocolate thumbprint cookies are an absolute no-brainer. It’s no secret that I love herbs in baked goods, and rosemary may very well be my favorite one to use.
From my Rosemary & White Chocolate Scones to my Mushroom & Rosemary Galette, it is just one of the best herbs to complement a bake. Trust me. Also, rosemary and white chocolate are simply the best of friends.
Thumbprint cookies have to be one of my favorites. You’re telling me I get a cookie filled with a dent of ooey gooey chocolate (or jam or caramel or whatever you’re filling your thumbprint with)?? Sign me up.
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ROSEMARY WHITE CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES
Thumbprint cookies are often made with a buttery dough, firm enough to hold an indentation but soft enough to melt in your mouth, and these cookies are no different.
These rosemary white chocolate thumbprint cookies are made up of a rosemary shortbread base, for that soft and crumbly chew, rolled in sugar, and filled with an easy, two-ingredient white chocolate ganache. The perfect bite to fill your cookie jar or complete a holiday spread.
What is ganache? Ganache is made by whisking chocolate with warm cream, creating a smooth, creamy mixture. As it sets, it stays soft enough for filling cookies, icing cakes, or whipping up perfect for topping pies or filling pavlovas.
INGREDIENTS
- Granulated Sugar – Adds a touch of sweetness inside these cookies and a little texture when each cookie ball is rolled in sugar before baking.
- Unsalted butter – Your only “wet” ingredient and what makes them simply melt in your mouth.
- Flour – Adding both texture and structure, the flour is what holds these cookies together.
- Cornstarch – Slightly different than many shortbread recipes, by swapping in a little cornstarch, your cookie will have a slight chew to it compared to only flour.
- Salt – Just a little goes a long way to amplify those rosemary flavors.
- Fresh Rosemary – The key being “fresh.” The oils from the herb add flavor and essence to the cookies that you won’t get from the dried variety.
- White Chocolate – I prefer using chocolate bars over chips when making ganache, as they’re easy enough to chop into smaller bits and melt more smoothly
- Heavy Cream – Offers both a smooth richness and soft bite, in the center of these cookies
Your rosemary should be chopped fine! This is the time to have a sharp knife or mini food processor to really chop that rosemary into bits. You don’t want spiky rosemary bites in your cookies.
HOW TO MAKE ROSEMARY WHITE CHOCOLATE THUMBPRINT COOKIES
Start by creaming ½ cup sugar with room-temperature butter in a bowl using a mixer for two minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy.
In another bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, and finely chopped rosemary. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture and stir with a spatula until just combined; the dough will be crumbly at this stage.
Use your hands to press the dough together, softening the butter and helping it fully incorporate with the flour and cornstarch. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 20 minutes to let flavors meld and the butter firm up before baking.
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop two tablespoons of dough at a time, compress slightly if needed, roll into balls, coat in remaining sugar, and place an inch apart on the tray.
Use your thumb to press an indent in the center of each cookie, being careful not to push through. Small cracks may appear, but simply press the edges back together with your fingers.
Bake for 15–16 minutes, removing the tray at the halfway mark to re-press the indents if they puffed up. Rotate the tray and bake until the bottoms are lightly golden, keeping the centers soft and chewy.
Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. While cooling, prepare the ganache by placing chopped white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and heating heavy cream in a small pot until steaming with bubbles around the edges.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, cover with a lid, and let sit for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and whisk until smooth, then spoon ganache into each thumbprint and let it set for at least an hour until soft but not runny.
3 reasons you’ll love these thumbprint cookies
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- Fresh rosemary is best for these thumbprint cookies, as the oils pack in all the flavor. While you can make this recipe with dried rosemary the rosemary flavor won’t be as pronounced.
- Chop your fresh rosemary super fine! I love rosemary but not spikes. This will also make for even better flavor distribution throughout your cookies.
- This is a dry dough so don’t be alarmed if it seems a little crumbly. Simply press together to form the dough and then roll and press together to form balls.
- When you turn the tray halfway during the baking, use a teaspoon to re-press down on the indent before returning to the oven for the rest of the cooking time. You want a nice cavity for all that delicious ganache!
- Once poured into each baked thumbprint cookie, allow your ganache to set for at least an hour. Giving it time to set will give it a more fudgy consistency that holds when you bite into the cookie.
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
The cookie dough can be stored wrapped in the fridge for 1–2 days. For easier baking, shape your thumbprint cookies before refrigerating so they’re ready to bake when you are.
The ganache can also be made ahead and stored in the fridge. When ready to use, warm it in a microwave-safe bowl in 10-second intervals, stirring until runny, then fill your baked cookies as directed.
Baked cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to two days at room temperature or one week in the fridge. They can also be frozen filled for 1–2 months.
MORE WHITE CHOCOLATE RECIPES
- Rosemary & White Chocolate Buttermilk Scones
- Lavender Thumbprint Cookies with White Chocolate Raspberry Filling
- Rosemary Madeleines with a White Chocolate Shell
- Black & White Popcorn
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Mixer
- Spoons
- Cooke Scoop
- Small pot
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Spatula
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- 14 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 5 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup white chocolate chopped
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- For your cookies, in a bowl, cream together ½ cup of sugar and your room-temperature butter with a mixer. Beat for 2 minutes on a medium speed until light and fluffy
- In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, cornstarch, salt, and chopped rosemary
- Pour your dry ingredients into your butter mixture and stir together with a spatula until just combined. Your dough will be dry and crumbly, have no fear! Once combined but crumbly, use your hands to press your dough together. Cover your bowl and pop in the fridge for 20 minutes to let the flavors meld and the flour to absorb into the dough
- Preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Once set, roll 2 tablespoons of dough at a time into a ball – compressing as needed to form – roll in a bowl with your remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar, and place on a cookie sheet about an inch apart. Once your dough is rolled, use your thumb to press an indent into the center of each cookie, be careful not to push all the way through. Because this is a dry dough, it will likely crack a bit as your make your indent, just use your fingers to press the edges back together
- Bake for 15-16 minutes. At the halfway mark, remove your cookies from the oven and use a teaspoon to re-press in the indent as it will have likely puffed up a bit as they baked. Rotate your tray and place the cookies back in the oven for the remainder of their baking time. They will still be pale but the bottoms will be lightly golden. You want your shortbread to have a lovely chew in the middle so don’t overbake these!
- Cool on a wire rack completely
- Once your cookies are cool, prep your white chocolate ganache by chopping your white chocolate into small pieces and place in an even layer in a heat-proof bowl. In a small pot, add your heavy cream and place over medium heat. Once the liquid begins to steam and has a few bubbles around the edge, immediately pour over your chopped white chocolate. Cover the bowl with a lid or plate and let sit for 4 minutes before removing the lid and whisking until smooth
- Spoon a little bit of ganache into each thumbprint. Allow the ganache to set in your thumbprints for at least an hour
- Enjoy!
super yummy but I feel like a bit too rosemary-y? could use maybe some vanilla paste or something of the like in my very humble opinion 🙂
Thanks jordie! So glad you liked them, I love the rosemary flavor but you’re welcome to cut down a smidge if you prefer a little less.
Do you think it would be possible to make batter and refrigerate over night?
Yes! The dough will last in the fridge up to 2 days, though I would recommend shaping it first for ease (and then they’re ready to bake when you are!)
absolutely love these! they melt in your mouth and the rosemary with the white chocolate is so good
my favorite combo! so glad you love these
The perfect Christmas cookie for people who don’t like things too sweet! My kids weren’t as interested but that meant there were more cookies for my husband and me 🙂
Always in for more cookies! Glad they were perfect for you holidays!
One of my absolute favorites!