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 | Print |
- 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
- PEANUT BUTTER DOUGH:
- In a large mixing bowl (a sturdy stand mixer is best) beat butter, peanut butter, egg yolk, vanilla, and milk (or water) together well.
- Add the powdered sugar and cornstarch and beat on low until incorporated.
- 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.
- Wrap and refrigerate dough. Scrape bowl out and use for the chocolate dough.
- CHOCOLATE COOKIE DOUGH
- In large bowl, beat butter, egg yolk, vanilla, and water (or coffee) together well.
- Add the powdered sugar and cornstarch and beat on low until incorporated.
- Combine the flour and cocoa and gradually add, mixing until dough forms. If necessary, drizzle in a very small amount of water or coffee.
- 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.
- Heat oven to 350 F.
- 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:
- 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".
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
With a soft, chewy texture that lies somewhere between a cookie and a brownie, this explosion of dark chocolate and maraschino cherry will satisfy you right down to your toes. And yes, I get a little bit passionate about cherries!
