Valentine Ganache Cookies
Soft, thick chocolate and pink cookies filled with creamy ganache and topped with Valentine flair.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup 226 g unsalted butter, softened, divided
- 1 cup 200 g granulated sugar, divided
- 1 cup 200 g brown sugar, packed, divided
- 2 large eggs room temperature, divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste divided
- 2½ cups 315 g all-purpose flour, divided
- ½ cup 45 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda divided
- ½ teaspoon salt divided
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 2 –3 teaspoons freeze-dried raspberry powder or a few drops pink food coloring
- ½ cup 120 ml heavy cream
- ¾ cup 130 g dark or white chocolate chips, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon 14 g unsalted butter (optional, for ganache)
- 2 tablespoons crushed freeze-dried raspberries for topping
- 10 small chocolate squares halved, for topping
- 2 tablespoons heart sprinkles
- ¼ cup melted white chocolate for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the chocolate dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup (125 g) flour, cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, and espresso powder; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat ½ cup softened butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ½ cup brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste to the chocolate dough butter mixture and beat until smooth.
- Add the dry chocolate mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low just until combined and no dry streaks remain; set chocolate dough aside.
- Make the pink dough: In a separate bowl, whisk together 1½ cups (190 g) flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt; set aside.
- In a clean large bowl, beat remaining ½ cup softened butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, and ½ cup brown sugar until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add remaining 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste to the pink dough butter mixture and beat until smooth.
- Add the dry pink dough mixture and mix on low just until combined, then mix in freeze-dried raspberry powder or pink food coloring until the dough is evenly tinted.
- Scoop small portions of chocolate dough and pink dough (about 1 tablespoon of each), press them gently together, and roll into 1½-inch balls with marbled colors.
- Arrange the dough balls on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake cookies at 350°F for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers look puffy but still soft.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
- While cookies cool, make the ganache: Place the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl.
- Warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat until steaming around the edges but not boiling.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly until smooth and glossy; stir in 1 tablespoon butter if using.
- Let the ganache sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a spreadable consistency similar to soft peanut butter.
- Sort cooled cookies into pairs of similar size. Turn one cookie in each pair flat-side up and spread or pipe about 1 tablespoon of ganache onto the center.
- Top with the second cookie, flat-side down, and gently press to spread the ganache to the edges, creating a sandwich.
- Decorate the tops with crushed freeze-dried raspberries, chocolate square pieces, heart sprinkles, and a drizzle of melted white chocolate. Let the ganache set before serving.
Notes
- For clean marbling, avoid over-rolling the combined dough balls so the pink and chocolate colors stay distinct.
- If the ganache becomes too firm, warm it briefly over a bowl of warm water or microwave for a few seconds and stir until smooth again.
- If the ganache becomes too firm, warm it briefly over a bowl of warm water or microwave for a few seconds and stir until smooth again.