Ingredients
Equipment Needed
- Hand mixer
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups
- Liquid measuring cups
- Mixing bowls (medium & large)
Peanut Butter Cookies
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, well-stirred (128g)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (57g)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (100g)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (2.5 ml)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda (2g)
- 1/8 tsp salt (about 1g)
- 2/3 cup + 3 tbsp all-purpose flour (106g)
Peanut Butter Mousse Filling
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, cold (180ml)
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, well-stirred (128g)
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (56g)
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar (40g)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (2.5ml)
- Pinch of salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (60ml)
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (about 45g)
- 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (7g)
What to do
1. To begin, line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat works).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the peanut butter, unsalted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (1–2 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined. Add baking soda, salt, and flour. Mix just until the flour disappears—do not overmix.
3. Now we want to divide the dough into 12 smaller cookies or 6 large cookies. To achieve uniform cookies, I would recommend weighing your dough. It should weigh approximately 540–560g (depending on the types of ingredients and how they were measured). Divide into 12 equal portions (about 45–47g per cookie). For 6 larger cookies (90-93g per cookie).
4. Roll each portion into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Gently press each ball with a tbsp (or 1/4 cup measuring cup if making bigger cookies) to make craters for the mousse. At this point, I like to cover and chill my cookies in the fridge for at least 3 hours (or overnight if you can wait! see note below). If you are short on time, pop the cookies into the fridge (uncovered, try to let them sit for at least 30 minutes) while you preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C degrees.
5. Bake for 9–11 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn golden. If baking larger cookies, bake time will be about 11-14 minutes. The centers will look slightly underbaked—this is good. Once you remove the cookies from the oven, you will need to go back with a tbsp or measuring cup and gently press down the crater in each cookie again (be sure to do this while the cookies are still warm). Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. While the cookies cool work on the peanut butter mousse! In a medium bowl, whip the cold heavy cream using a hand mixer or stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Set to the side.
7. In a separate bowl, beat the peanut butter, softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until everything is combined. Note: because we are using natural peanut butter, the mixture will not be very runny, this is ok and expected.
8. Gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter cream cheese mix. Fold until everything is homogenous. Note: This could take a few minutes so be patient and gentle as you fold. The mixture will eventually blend and become silky smooth. Cover and chill the mousse for at least 1 hour before spooning onto the peanut butter cookies.
9. For the chocolate ganache, heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer (do not let it boil). Remove the saucepan from heat and pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and butter in a heatproof bowl. Let the mixture sit for 1–2 minutes to soften the chocolate, then stir gently until smooth and glossy. Allow the ganache to cool while you prepare your cookies.
10. When ready to assemble your cookies, divide the peanut butter mousse among the cooled cookies. I use a small ice cream scoop to evenly distribute the mousse. A spoon or piping bag works just fine. Drizzle the chocolate ganache and top with the broken peanut butter cups.
FAQ’s
Helpful tips
Here are some important Pro tips by Maude
- When measuring your flour, if you are not using a baking scale, be sure not to scoop your measuring cup into the flour (that is too much flour!) You want to spoon your flour into your measuring cup (spoonful by spoonful) until the cup is full. Then use a knife to scrape off the top, excess flour. This tip will ensure that you are not using too much flour in your recipes.
- Chilling cookie dough is a sure way to improve the flavor of your cookies! The chilling process allows the flour to moisten and the sugars and butter to get acquainted… which gives so much flavor to your cookies! It is heavenly! Try not to skip this step!
- Try to use room temperature ingredients. Bring your butter, cream cheese (for the mousse) and egg to room temp before mixing. This ensures a smooth even dough/mousse and helps everything blend properly.
- Don’t overmix the dough. Overmixing can make your cookies tough. Mix just until the flour disappears—especially after adding dry ingredients.
More Recipes!
Here are some more cookie recipes you might enjoy!
Pistachio Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies
NYC Style Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you try this recipe, I would love your feedback! Please leave a star rating, a comment below or on the reel in Instagram! Also please share what you made and tag @eatmaudes !! Thank you so much for stopping by and making yumminess with me!