COOKIE CALENDAR DAY 4
No cookie collection would be complete without the magical pairing of chocolate and peanut butter.
Toronto pastry chef Dufflet Rosenberg developed these crisp, dark chocolate shortbreads with sweet cream topping in 2013 as a riff on her famous but discontinued Squirrel Pie.
Use any shape of cookie cutters for the bases.
Squirrel Pie Shortbread Cookies Star Tested
1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks 1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) table salt 1/2 cup (125 mL) cocoa powder
Peanut butter cream topping
1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup (125 mL) cream cheese 1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar 1/2 cup (125 mL) smooth peanut butter 1/2 cup (125 mL) shelled, roasted peanuts for topping, if desired
To make cookie: In a large mixing bowl using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until just combined, about a minute.
In another mixing bowl, mix together flour, salt, cocoa. Add to butter mixture in batches, mixing on low speed until dough forms.
On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch (1/2-centimetre) thickness and, using cookie cutters, cut out shapes. Reroll remaining dough and continue cutting shapes until dough is finished.
Bake in preheated 350 F (180 C) oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Meanwhile, in large mixing bowl using electric mixer, beat together butter, cream cheese, icing sugar and peanut butter.
To serve: Using piping bag fitted with 1/2-inch (1.3-cm) tip or teaspoon, drop a dollop of peanut butter cream into centre of each cookie. Press a few roasted peanuts into cream, if desired.
Store un-iced cookies in airtight container at room temperature up to one week or freeze up to one month.
Makes about 55 cookies.