Peanut Butter Ganache Thumbprint Cookies

You know peanut butter blossoms? The wonderful peanut butter cookie with the Hershey Kiss in the center? Well move aside hard to eat peanut butter blossoms, I’ve replaced the hard Hershey kiss with a creamy ganache center and have made peanut butter ganache thumbprint cookies. It’s such a beautiful feeling

How to make amazing peanut butter ganahce thumbprint cookies

Be sure to let all your refrigerated ingredients come to room temperature! This is essential to making sure the butter gets properly creamed. Cold butter won’t cream well. In addition, cold eggs will not mix as easily into the creamed mixture.

Also, be sure to fully cream your butter and sugar. Creaming creates air pockets in the dough will also prevent your cookies from spreading. Cream for about 2-3 minutes using an electric mixer on medium speed.

And finally, make sure you chill your dough. Chilling does two things: it allows the flour to full evenly absorb the moisture in the dough and it will prevent your cookies from spreading.

Does the ganache become hardened enough to stack the cookies?

Unfortunately, no, it doesn’t. If stacked, the top cookies will leave a small impression on the cookie below. It’s kind of annoying, but neither I nor the people who get to eats these seem to mind. Furthermore, freezing these cookies causes the ganache to crack, but it doesn’t affect the taste.

I tested filling these cookies with ganache before and after baking. I thought filling them beforehand would help set the ganache. Turns out the ganache consistency is the same no matter when you fill it. The 2 main differences are that the ganache gets kind of crackly on top after baking (not pretty). And filling before keeps the cookies from spreading as much because the ganache is weighing it down. The ganache will also sit lower on the cookie. I’d rather have the shiny smooth top, so I fill after I bake.

I hope you enjoy! Here are some other Christmas cookies:

Peanut Butter Ganache Thumbprint Cookies

Love peanut butter blossoms but find them annoying to eat? This is the cookie for you!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Resting Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (188 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter , at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter*

Ganache

  • 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate baking bar* roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  • In a medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • With an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter for 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and cream for another 2 minutes.
  • Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl if needed.
  • Add the peanut butter, beat until combined.
  • With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture until just combined.
  • Place the dough in an air tight container and chill for at least 2 hours.
  • Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls. Place in fridge. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Once oven is preheated, place cookie dough balls on lined baking sheets. Using your thumb or a measuring spoon, make a small indent in each ball. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire wrack to cool completely.

Ganache

  • While the cookies cool, make the ganache. Place the chopped chocolate in a heat safe bowl.
  • Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan on medium heat until it just starts to bubble. Pour over chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth.
  • Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of ganache (or more!) into each cookie. Let set in the fridge.

Notes

Baking Bars: Don’t use chips. Baking bars like Baker’s Brand or Ghiradelli will melt more smoothly.
Peanut Butter: You can use smooth or crunchy.
Freezing: The ganache will most likely crack if you freeze it. It will not compromise the taste, however.
Storing: The cookies can be stacked if you’re ok with the ganache getting a little squished. If you prefer to keep your ganache intact, do not stack.

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