Not only is the cookie dough beautifully bake-able but also safe to eat uncooked. This really elevates the classic peanut butter cookie you know and love. You can have fun decorating for the holiday! Use a mix of chocolate, white chocolate, food coloring and sprinkles to make it fun and festive. It's fun for the whole family — get the kids involved and you'll keep them entertained for hours. For a cute gift idea, individually wrap them or put together a plate and a note to give to friends and neighbors in a safe, socially distant way.
Technique tips: Roll the cookie dough in granulated sugar so it doesn't stick to the glass or fork when you're pressing them down. Use a butter knife and your fingers to make the peanut butter cookies into a heart shape. Use coconut oil to help thin the chocolate out so that dipping is easy.
Swap option: You can use a vegan butter and dairy-free chocolate if you want this recipe to dairy-free. You can use any flavorless oil to help thin the chocolate when you're melting it. You can use creamy or crunchy peanut butter. Don't care about making this cookie dough safe-to-eat? Swap the pasteurized egg white for 1 large egg and regular all-purpose flour for the heat-treated kind.
COOK TIME :12 minutes
PREP TIME : 60 minutes
YIELD : makes 28 cookies
Ingredients
COOKIES
1¾ cups heat-treated all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup creamy Jif peanut butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
TOPPING
1½ cups chocolate chips
3 tablespoons coconut oil, divided (or any flavorless oil will work)
1½ cups white chocolate chips
1/3 cup Valentine's Day sprinkles
Preparation
For the cookies: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated and brown sugars and mix on medium until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl as needed. Add the egg whites and vanilla, and mix until fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. 4. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low just until the powdery texture of the flour disappears, about 15 seconds. Immediately add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and mix a final 15 seconds. 5. Remove the bowl from the mixer and steal a lick right from the bowl. 6. Use a medium cookie scoop (#40) to portion out the cookie dough. 7. Roll each cookie dough ball in granulated sugar and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving about 3 inches between each cookie. 8. Use a flat-bottomed glass to press each cookie until flat. Then use a butter knife to cut a slice in the top of the circle creating the top of the heart shape. Use your fingers and the knife to make a point at the bottom until each cookie resembles a heart. 9. Use a fork to press the cookie down and create a crosshatch pattern on each heart. 10. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and the cookies are starting to get barely golden around the edges. Let cool completely.
For the toppings: 1. Meanwhile, in a small microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips with the 1½ tablespoons of coconut oil in the microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments. Stir well between each increment. Repeat just until melted. Do the same with the white chocolate. 2. Fill two small piping bags or heavy-duty zip top bags with 1/4 cup of the melted chocolate mixture. Do the same with the melted white chocolate. Keep the remaining melted chocolate and white chocolate in the small bowls.
To decorate: 1. Once cookies are cooled, dip into the melted chocolate mixture, alternating between the white and semi-sweet chocolate. 2. Let the excess chocolate drip off and place the cookies on a wire rack to let the chocolate set. Cut a small hole in the piping bags and drizzle with some additional chocolate and immediately dust with festive sprinkles. Continue this process with all the cookies. Have fun with it! 3. Leave the cookies out at room temperature until the chocolate is completely hardened.