I do this one foolish thing.
It’s embarrassing, but I keep watching the same movie—Dear John—hoping the ending will somehow be different each time. It seems to be on TV constantly, and every time the credits roll I want to throw the remote and shout, “But why?!”
Yes, I’ve probably griped about this before. Maybe I even complained on social media months ago. Still, I can’t help myself. Whenever I catch it on Starz or another channel, I turn it on and quietly torture myself.
The other morning I was curled on the couch with tea (which I don’t love) and cereal (which I do), wrapped in blankets, staring at Channing Tatum like a fool. Then—same ending. Frustrating.
So I got up and baked these s’mores thumbprint cookies. Baking put me back on track. No movie is going to keep me down.
Every December I dive into my grandmother’s old recipes and I lose myself in the smell of worn cookbooks. Thumbprint cookies were her specialty. I wasn’t always a fan—give me a gooey chocolate chip cookie any day—but I still make them because they remind me of her.
Her thumbprints were memorable for more than flavor—she stored them in reused foil packets in the freezer and pulled them out years later. I still remember her scolding me for not making the thumbprint “just right.” Apparently there was only one correct way to do it. I still attempt them every year and probably get it wrong every time, but I keep making them because of those small, stubborn memories.
While I will enjoy a traditional thumbprint now and then, I couldn’t resist remixing them. I debated peanut butter, white chocolate, cheesecake and tiramisu fillings, but landed on a s’mores-inspired version that feels like a jackpot. No fruit here—these are rich, chocolatey, marshmallow-filled cookies. Perfect for when a movie ruins your mood.
Chocolate Fudge S’mores Thumbprints
20
cookies
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 mini chocolate chips
- 1/2 batch of marshmallow frosting
- 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, or more if desired
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until fluffy, about 3–4 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat 1–2 minutes more. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and increase speed until the dough comes together. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
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Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes, then remove and press a thumb gently into the center of each cookie to create a dent. Return to the oven and bake 5–6 more minutes. Cool completely.
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Once cool, add 1–2 teaspoons of marshmallow frosting to each cookie and top with a generous sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs. Store in an airtight container. These can be frozen in a single layer if wrapped tightly.
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Note: Thinning the marshmallow frosting with 2–3 tablespoons of milk makes it easier to spoon. If you plan to freeze the cookies, keep the frosting thicker so it holds up better.
Notes
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Take that, Dear John!