Tag Archives: chocolate shortbread

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread

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The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is irresistible to me, and I just love getting both flavors in one cookie. There are endless ways to put these two doughs together, and I’ll show you a few, but I’m sure you will come up with some fun ideas of your own.

Yes, you’ll have to make two different batches of cookie dough, but it really is a very easy dough to make, and it won’t take you long at all. If you’re wondering how many this will make, I just don’t know what to tell you. It depends on whether you’re making the three layer cookies or the chain cookies or . . .
Let’s just say it makes a generous amount, at least 4 dozen.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread
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Two easy batches of shortbread cookie dough can be combined in countless ways to make creative and delicious cookies.
Ingredients
  • PEANUT BUTTER DOUGH:
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon milk or water
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • CHOCOLATE COOKIE DOUGH:
  • 1½ cups butter, softened
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon water or coffee
  • 1½ cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
  • To decorate: your choice of chopped peanuts, sprinkles, chocolate icing or ganache
Instructions
  1. PEANUT BUTTER DOUGH:
  2. In a large mixing bowl (a sturdy stand mixer is best) beat butter, peanut butter, egg yolk, vanilla, and milk (or water) together well.
  3. Add the powdered sugar and cornstarch and beat on low until incorporated.
  4. Gradually add the flour. This is a very stiff dough! It will appear crumbly, but with thorough beating, should come together. If it doesn't, drizzle in a small amount of milk or water.
  5. Wrap and refrigerate dough. Scrape bowl out and use for the chocolate dough.
  6. CHOCOLATE COOKIE DOUGH
  7. In large bowl, beat butter, egg yolk, vanilla, and water (or coffee) together well.
  8. Add the powdered sugar and cornstarch and beat on low until incorporated.
  9. Combine the flour and cocoa and gradually add, mixing until dough forms. If necessary, drizzle in a very small amount of water or coffee.
  10. Wrap and refrigerate both doughs for 30 minutes. If you refrigerate the dough longer, it will become very stiff. If that happens, let it rest at room temperature until manageable.
  11. Heat oven to 350 F.
  12. Working with a small piece of one color at a time, roll ¼ inch thick on lightly floured surface or between sheets of parchment. Bake on ungreased baking sheet or on parchment for approximately 10 minutes, depending on the size and shape of your cookies. They should just be beginning brown on the bottom. Here are some ideas:
  13. Try using two different sizes of the same shape of cutter. If using hearts, cut large hearts out of both doughs, then use a smaller heart cutter in the center of half of the large hearts. Gently press a shape with the center removed onto a solid shape. Once baked, fill the center with chocolate ganache or peanut butter icing. You can also marble the colors, roll, and cut. Or try putting a small heart on a large one, topping with a dab of peanut butter, and covering with another large heart, creating a small raised heart in the center. Cover cooled cookie with icing or ganache. Or cut small hearts out of the center of large hearts to create heart "frames". cut one on the side, and slip the other through the cut. Press lighlty for a 2 heart "chain".
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Some of the ideas I tried:

Triple layer cookies. (Okay, if you count the peanut butter I guess they’re quadruple layered.)

A layer of peanut butter dough, a small chocolate heart, a dollop of peanut butter, and top with another layer of peanut butter dough. Or reverse the colors.

See? This one was chocolate, a small peanut butter center, peanut butter, and chocolate.

Drizzle or cover with ganache or chocolate icing, and sprinkle with chopped peanuts

Or, these are fun!

A solid bottom with a cutout top. Once cool, fill with ganache or add a candy center

You can also link two cutout hearts together:

Or . . . the easiest idea of all is to simply combine the two doughs to create a marbled effect:

So many ways to play with this dough, and I’ll bet if you have littles in the kitchen, they will get very creative!

This is it for Valentine’s Day recipes for the year, and you know what that means, right? Everything green is coming your way soon.

Lorinda

“Chocolate Pie” Shortbread Cookies

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Chocolate pie shortbread cookiesThese sweet little cookies look just like miniature pieces of chocolate cream pie!

I made Chocolate Pie Shortbread Cookies last year for Tampa Cake Girl’s Cookie Exchange, which was a super fun idea, with lots of great recipes.The original batch made 96 cookies, and I have to admit I got a little tired of making them. So…I halved the batch for this post. Feel free to double it up again if you have more perseverance than I.

Half of the dough will remain plain; the other half will be enhanced with chocolate. There is no actual filling – the cookie is just gussied up to look and taste like chocolate pie filling. Pipe a little white chocolate on each piece to resemble whipping cream, and you have a sweet little treat that’s almost too cute to eat. (Holy cow, did I just write a poem?)Chocolate pie shortbread cookies and tea watermarked

They’re petite…perfect two-biters. Dainty enough for a ladies’ luncheon, but my hubby was happy to eat them by the handful – and yes, they are just one-biters as far as he’s concerned.  It’s a good thing this recipe makes 4 dozen pieces!

This is very heavy dough, so if you have a stand mixer, I recommend you use it. You may need to use the dough hook when the flour is added.

"Chocolate Pie" Shortbread Cookies
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Make 48 petite cookies. If you have time, double the recipe; they'll go fast!
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon heavy cream
  • ⅛ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • White chocolate and dark chocolate (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350 F.
  2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.
  3. Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well, scraping sides of bowl.
  4. Add flour and cornstarch, and mix until completely incorporated.
  5. Remove half of the dough and place it in a small bowl.
  6. To the dough in the large bowl, add 1 teaspoon cream and the cocoa powder. Mix well. Cover the large bowl with plastic wrap and set aside.
  7. Roll the vanilla dough out between two large pieces of parchment paper, about ⅛-inch thick, and cut out 6 large circles – about 4-1/2 inches across – using a small bowl, sour cream container, or margarita glass! Place them on a plate and keep them covered with plastic wrap. It’s fine to re-roll the dough as long as you’re rolling it between sheets of parchment. (Alternatively, you can separate the dough into 6 equal balls and roll them out separately between parchment.)
  8. Separate the chocolate dough into 6 portions and roll them into balls, then flatten until they're approximately 3" circles.
  9. Working with one piece of each color at a time (keep the rest covered so it won’t dry out) center the chocolate circle over the vanilla circle. There should be at least ½ vanilla dough showing around the chocolate. Slowly bring the vanilla dough up the sides. A knife or spatula works very well for this. Don’t worry if it cracks around the bottom edge; this isn’t pie crust! Use your fingers to press and mold the dough (think Play Doh) until it’s fairly straight and even all the way around the top, Use your fingers to press firmly down on the "filling" while you bring the dough around it. The vanilla dough should stick up a little higher than the chocolate dough.
  10. Crimp the dough all the way around, using the tips of your fingers. Don’t be afraid to press firmly along the sides as you go – this will keep the fluted edge from falling off as it bakes.
  11. With a sharp knife, cut pie into 8 small wedges. Move to an ungreased cookie sheet, spaced at least ½-inch apart. Repeat until the baking sheet is full. The cookies can be quite close together; they don’t spread. Place baking sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes, or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  12. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until the bottoms are just turning light golden brown. Move to a rack to cool.
  13. When all cookies are cool, frost the tops with melted chocolate if desired. Refrigerate briefly to set the chocolate. Add a dollop of white chocolate to the top.
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half vanilla, half chocolate

half vanilla, half chocolate

Roll out "crust". You could also opt to divvy the dough into 6 balls and roll out each piece.

Roll out “crust”. You could also opt to divvy the dough into 6 balls and roll out each piece.

Flatten chocolate ball and place in the center.

Flatten chocolate ball and place in the center.

Press the sides firmly against the chocolate.

Press the sides firmly against the chocolate.

Flute the edges...

Flute the edges…

Cut into 8 wedges

Cut into 8 wedges

Place on baking sheet, chill briefly, and bake.

Place on baking sheet, chill briefly, and bake.

Add a little melted chocolate

Add a little melted chocolate

A bit of white chocolate and they're ready to go!

A bit of white chocolate and they’re ready to go!

Just for fun, I tried this idea with other pie flavors. I tried to put them all into one blog, but the recipes differed just enough to make that impossible. So…here’s the link for “Pecan Pie” Shortbread cookies. and “Pumpkin Pie” Shortbread cookies.

I may be going a little crazy here, but there may be key lime, lemon meringue, cherry, berry, and peanut butter pie cookies in the future; I’m having too much fun to quit!

Lorinda