Description
Delight in these charming Valentine Ganache Cookies, featuring a tender, cocoa-infused cookie base filled with luscious chocolate ganache and adorned with festive toppings like freeze-dried raspberries and heart sprinkles. Perfect for celebrating love with a sweet, homemade treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (45 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp espresso powder (optional)
- 1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2–3 tsp freeze-dried raspberry powder or pink food coloring
Ganache and Toppings
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- ¾ cup (130 g) dark or white chocolate chips, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter (optional)
- Freeze-dried raspberries
- Chocolate squares
- Heart sprinkles
- Melted white chocolate (for drizzling)
Instructions
- Prepare Dough: Cream together the softened butter and both sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy. This aeration is key for soft, tender cookies.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg and vanilla extract thoroughly until combined. This binds the dough and adds flavor.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Divide the dough into two portions if making separate flavors. Stir in the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder for the chocolate dough; and flour, baking soda, salt, and raspberry powder or food coloring for the pink dough.
- Chill Dough: Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to firm up. This helps prevent spreading during baking and enhances flavor.
- Shape Cookies: Scoop the dough into balls and arrange them on a baking sheet. Press a well in the center of each ball to create space for the ganache filling.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes until slightly set but still soft.
- Re-Press Centers: Once out of the oven, gently press the centers again to deepen the wells for the ganache.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet to set properly before filling.
- Make Ganache: Pour hot heavy cream over the chopped chocolate (and butter, if using). Stir until the mixture becomes a smooth and silky ganache.
- Fill Cookies: Spoon or pipe the ganache into the wells of the cooled cookies.
- Decorate: Garnish each cookie with freeze-dried raspberries, chocolate squares, heart sprinkles, and drizzle melted white chocolate for an elegant finish.
- Set Ganache: Let the cookies sit at room temperature or refrigerate briefly until the ganache firms up before serving.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is important to prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor but can be omitted if preferred.
- For a more intense pink color, increase the amount of freeze-dried raspberry powder or food coloring slightly.
- Use high-quality chocolate for the ganache for the best flavor and texture.
- Ganache can be made ahead and refrigerated; rewarm gently before filling.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
