Holiday Blog Hop Cookie Swap

I am SO stoked for the first annual holiday Blog Hop Cookie Swap! I thought it would be fun to host a modern day Christmas cookie exchange, so I gathered up a bunch of my seriously talented design friends and we’re taking you inside our kitchens to share our favorite cookie recipes. This is one you won’t want to miss! Click through for my family recipe… peanut butter thumbprint cookies filled with creamy dark chocolate ganache. Yes- they’re as good as they sound! You’ll also want to pin the other blogger cookie recipes, so be sure to click through the entire lineup at the end of the post. 

My family makes these cookies for the dessert table every single Christmas. Since Emmett and I aren’t going back home to Kentucky this holiday season, I decided to make them in hopes of lessening the FOMO.

They’re every bit as good as I remembered from last Christmas. These cookies are similar to peanut butter blossoms, but a thousand times better! Instead of a hard Hershey’s kiss plopped in the center- they’re filled with creamy dark chocolate ganache. After working as a designer in the chocolate industry for a few years, I kind of turned into a chocolate snob (no shame in my game). I prefer to use a good quality chocolate filling. I promise it makes all the difference. Here’s what you need for the recipe…

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus another 1/4 cup for rolling
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 ounces of your favorite chocolate, I used Callebaut
• 1 – 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Begin by whisking the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. Pull out your KitchenAid stand mixer and beat the butter for 1 minute on high speed until it’s creamy.

On medium-high speed, beat in 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, plus the 1/2 cup of brown sugar until the mixture is completely creamed and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Next, add the egg and beat on high until well combined, about a minute.

It’s time to add the peanut butter and vanilla extract! Mix those on high until everything is well combined.

Next, add the dry ingredients and beat on low until the dough forms and is well mixed.

Cover and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator, or up to 1 day- if you’re making the dough in advance. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Scoop and roll the cookie dough into 1″ balls. Roll each ball in granulated sugar prior to placing it on the baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes or until the cookie tops begin to slightly crack. While the cookies are baking, mix up the ganache.

Pour 1 tablespoon of heavy cream over the chocolate chips, and melt in the microwave using 30 second intervals, being careful not to burn the chocolate. Stir intermittently, until the chocolate is completely smooth. Stir in more heavy cream if you prefer your ganache to be a bit creamier. It all depends on your chocolate!

Remove the cookies from the oven, giving them a minute to rest on the sheet. Thumbprint cookies get their name because people typically use their thumb to press a hole in the center, but I like the cookies to be very consistent, so I use the end of my honey dipper instead. You’ll want to do this while the cookies are still pretty warm, so they hold their shape!

Carefully spoon the ganache into the center of each cookie. I like to give it a gentle press and swirl once I reach the top- but they can be as messy or perfect as you’d like- they’ll taste amazing either way!

Once all of the cookies have been filled with ganache, transfer them to a cooling rack.

These cookies stay fresh for a couple days covered at room temperature. They actually taste amazing up to one week, but will need to be refrigerated if you’re not planning to eat them within a couple days, because of the ganache filling. You can also make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 1 day in advance, if you’re holiday food prepping. Just allow the dough to come back to room temperature before rolling.

These cookies are the perfect bite size snack that will please a crowd. They’re easy to eat and are packed with peanut butter flavor, cut with creamy ganache. I took this entire platter to a holiday party last week and came home with an empty serving tray. They’re always fast to go!

Thanks for hanging in the kitchen with me today. Don’t forget to check out all of my friends in the cookie swap tour! There are SO many delectable recipes you’ll want to save, gorgeous kitchens, and charming holiday decor. I’m linking them all below…

Centered By Design // Bria Hammel Interiors // Simply Grove // Room for Tuesday // Anita Yokota // Francois et Moi // Life on Virginia Street // Boxwood Avenue // Coco Kelley // Erin Kestenbaum // Kate Lester Interiors // House of Hipsters // Jojotastic // Making It Lovely // Place.St.Russell

Did you enjoy the cookie swap? I’d love to hear your favorites in the comments below! I’d love to host again next year if you guys were into it. What is your go to Christmas cookie recipe?