Fudgy Thumbprints filled with Chocolate Ganache

These are the perfect little cookies to brighten up a cold january day (or to make a friend doing Veganuary smile!) – after all nothing improves the mood more than some gooey chocolate and fudgy/toffee sweetness. The fudgy flavour comes from soft brown sugar and the chocolate ganache filling remains soft and slightly gooey, even once it has set. Big and Little S voted these as some of their all time favourite cookies – high praise indeed!

Fudgy Thumbprints filled with Chocolate Ganache (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free [depending on chocolate used], sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes about 18

• 5 tbsps oat milk
• 5 tbsps sunflower oil
• 3/4 cup soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups plain flour
• pinch salt
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

for the ganache:

• 100g dairy-free chocolate
• 1/4 cup oat cream
• 1 tsp golden syrup

– Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees Centigrade/ Gas mark 4

– Line a cookie sheet with baking parchment

– In a large bowl whisk together the oat milk, sunflower oil, sugar and vanilla.

– Sift in the flour, salt and bicarb and bring together to form a soft dough.

– Roll into 18 even sized balls and place (well spaced) on the cookie sheet. Using a wet thumb, press an indentation into the centre of each ball.

– Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden, risen and cooked through (check the bottoms to see if fully cooked). If the centres have popped up, press down the indentation with the back of a spoon.

– Cool on a wire rack.

– To make the chocolate ganache: carefully and gently melt together the chocolate, cream and syrup in a saucepan until its smooth and glossy. Cool a little.

– Pipe or spoon into the thumbprints and leave to cool.