Chocolate Rolo Thumbprint Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my Thumbprint Cookies falling apart? ›

There are many reasons why your cookie dough may be crumbly. The most obvious culprit: not enough liquid to keep the dough together. Double check all liquid ingredients.

Use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Coating your baking sheet with nonstick spray or butter creates an overly greasy foundation, causing the cookies to spread. I always recommend a silicone baking mat because they grip onto the bottom of your cookie dough, preventing the cookies from spreading too much.

Make sure you roll the cookie dough balls into a smooth round ball. If there are cracks on the balls, then they're more likely to crack as you indent them. Also, avoid waiting too long after rolling them to indent them.

Tough – For rolled cookies, your dough can become “tough” by adding too much flour to your pin or counter before rolling it out.

Wet ingredients:

If you think your cookie dough is off, you may not have enough liquid in the recipe. Consider adding a touch more liquid such as melted butter, egg yolks, or a teaspoon of water. Add a teeny bit and see if that helps. Add more as needed until the dough holds together and is scoop-able.

Flour adds fluff and texture to the cookies. Adding too little flour can cause cookies to be flat, greasy, and crispy. Most recipes assume you'll use all-purpose, but if you want a lighter, crumblier cookie texture, choose one with a lower protein content such as cake-and-pastry flour.

Store your baked thumbprint cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. There's no need to refrigerate. These cookies will keep for at least a week before starting to dry out and get crumbly.

Make sure your cookie sheet has cooled completely before placing your next batch of cookies, otherwise they'll start melting before they can start baking, and they're much more likely to spread.

Stuff the tin or container with tissue paper (here's a festive option!), crumbled newspaper, or packing peanuts to keep the cookies snug. Place the tin or container into a shipping box and use more crumbled newspaper or other shipping materials if needed. Then send off!

Do Thumbprint Cookies ship well? Yes. Firm and sturdy cookies are the best type of cookies to ship, so our Thumbprint Cookies handle the trip well.

What does too much egg in cookie dough do? ›

If there isn't enough egg, your batter or dough may not be able to hold its structure or could end up overly dry or dense. On the other hand, if there is too much egg, your baked goods could lose their shape due to excess liquid, or have a rubbery (or even overly cakey) texture depending on the recipe.

Overmixing your batter can lead to runny cookies.

I mixed the batter more than I should have both during the creaming stage of the recipe and after adding the flour. As a result, the cookies came out light and airy, and I was able to taste the butter more prominently in this batch than in others.

All-Purpose Flour: The Versatile Choice

This balanced protein level makes it versatile enough to produce both soft and chewy cookies as well as slightly crisp ones. If you're looking for a safe bet or are new to cookie baking, all-purpose flour is your go-to option.

Excess Sugar and Fat

Measuring is key in baking. If your cookie contains excess sugar or fat, it will spread while baking. If your first batch of cookies spreads, try adding a few tablespoons of flour to help thicken the remaining dough.

Make sure your cookie sheet has cooled completely before placing your next batch of cookies, otherwise they'll start melting before they can start baking, and they're much more likely to spread.

You Used the Wrong Kind of Flour

If you use cake or pastry flour, which are softer, your cookies will be fragile and crumbly. And if you use self-rising flour (which is a type of flour with the baking powder already mixed in), any number of things could go wrong.