Recipe: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Ganache Sandwich Cookies

Makes about 20 sandwich cookies

Cookies

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup flour

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter (for the best consistency, avoid natural or chunky)

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped fine

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

1. For the cookies: Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with Silpats.

2. In a small bowl, mix baking soda, salt and flour.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add brown sugar, and beat until lightened and combined, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. Add vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the batter all at once, mixing slowly until just combined. The mixture will look very wet and oily; this is OK.

4. Roll dough into balls about 3/4- to 1 inch in diameter, and space about 1 ½ inches apart on each cookie sheet. Bake until lightly golden and dry on top, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven, let rest for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

5. For the ganache: Meanwhile, make the ganache. Put chopped chocolate into a small, heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat cream until just boiling, then pour over chopped chocolate. Mix well until smooth and fully incorporated. Chill until the chocolate mixture reads 70 on a thermometer. This will be the best spreading consistency.

6. To assemble: Spread about 1 rounded teaspoon of the ganache on the flat side of a cookie with a small offset spatula. Top with a second cookie, flat side on the filling, forming sandwich. Repeat with remaining filling and cookies.

Note: Tools used: Kitchen scale (for measuring chocolate), Silpat, thermometer, small offset spatula

Data per serving:

Calories 190

Protein 4g

Fat 12g

Carbohydrates 18g

Sodium 189mg

Saturated fat 5g

Cholesterol 33mg

From The San Francisco Chronicle