By Erin Jeanne McDowell
- Total Time
- 50 minutes, plus chilling
- Rating
- 4(989)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This shortbread is like a huge, sliceable Girl Scout cookie. (You’re welcome!) An easy shortbread is topped with a layer of peanut butter frosting, blanketed with a thick chocolate glaze, then chilled until set. Brown sugar helps keep the shortbread soft, and coconut oil does the same for the chocolate coating, so the whole thing is easy to cut with a knife and eat with a fork. Be sure to use bar chocolate, not chips — which don’t melt as evenly — so your chocolate glaze ends up shiny and smooth.
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Ingredients
Yield:One 9-inch cookie (about 12 servings)
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
- ½cup/110 grams light brown sugar
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2½cups/320 grams all-purpose flour
- ½teaspoon fine sea salt
- 6tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter (¾ stick), at room temperature
- 1½cups/360 milliliters creamy peanut butter (not natural)
- 1⅓cups/135 grams sifted confectioners’ sugar
- 1teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 12ounces/340 grams chopped semisweet bar chocolate
- 1tablespoon coconut oil
- ¾cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
For the Shortbread
For the Peanut Butter Filling
For the Chocolate Glaze
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
781 calories; 56 grams fat; 27 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 67 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 39 grams sugars; 12 grams protein; 130 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.
Step
2
Prepare the shortbread: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
Step
3
Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour and salt and mix until evenly combined. Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Prick the shortbread all over with a fork.
Step
4
Bake until the shortbread is baked through, set and lightly golden, 22 to 26 minutes. Cool completely, and remove the outer ring from the springform pan. Place on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet.
Step
5
Wipe out the bowl of the mixer, and make the peanut butter filling: Using the paddle attachment, cream the butter, peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt and mix to combine.
Step
6
Spread on top of the cooled shortbread, leaving it slightly more mounded in the center than at the edges. Transfer to the refrigerator while you make the glaze.
Step
7
Place a medium heat-safe bowl over a medium pot of simmering water. Add the chocolate, coconut oil and cream to the bowl and heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is melted and fluid. (Alternatively, the mixture can be microwaved in a microwave-safe container in 15-second bursts, stirring after each burst until the mixture is fully melted.) Cool for 5 minutes.
Step
8
Pour the glaze over the cooled cookie, using a small offset spatula to help coat the edges evenly as needed. If necessary, you can collect the glaze that runs off the cookie onto the baking sheet and pour back over to glaze any missed spots.
Step
9
Once the cookie is fully glazed, use a large spatula to transfer it to a platter. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill completely for 45 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife and serving. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Ratings
4
out of 5
989
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Cooking Notes
Steve
Now make a Thin Mint version.
GG
Instead of using a double boiler, I boil the cream, shut off the flame and added the coconut oil and chocolate mini chips and stirred until smooth--this is the same method I use to make french truffles--Never fails.
Caitlin
Just made this. Utilized the microwave option for the glaze and it was super simple. Started with 30 sec, and then 15 sec thereon. Used a whisk to make sure it was smooth. Highly recommend!
Noreen
Made this recipe last week, as written. It felt like there was just too much-too much of the shortbread layer, too much of the pb filling layer. I kept wondering if it might be better if the layers were somehow thinner. If I make it again, I may try it with 1/2 the amounts of those 2 layers, or make more than one cookie.
CL
Made this using 400ml homemade Sunflower Seed Butter that I thinned by adding a little Cold Pressed Sunfl. oil.Based on other's suggestion, I used 2 - 9" pans. Cookie and sunbutter layers were perfect depth.I increased chocolate topping by 50% to cover 2 cookies.Due to allergies, I replaced coconut oil with Vegan margarine. I tempered it to get a beautiful sheen to cookie.Looked great!Tasted incredible!Now just need to decide if every week is too often to make this!
Christina. W
Made this for guests-we all loved it. Split the recipe and made 2 in 9" pie pans. I added more butter to the shortbread recipe (add'l half a stick) because the dough seemed too crumbly & it was great. I used the new peanut butter that Reese's makes.
beans
- Even more wonderful with CRUNCHY peanut butter!- Use 2 - 9" pans to get perfect proportions of cookie, pbutter & choc layers- Use 1/4 to 1/2 stick add'l butter for the 2 pans, AND ....- Increase chocolate topping by 50% to cover 2 cookies- Hand mixer s/b fine: Just make sure everything is smooth- Even better the next day after it's sat overnight.
Jenn
Just making this and had a thought about food safety. You should probably wash the mixer bowl between making the shortbread crust (cooked) and the peanut butter filling (uncooked.) The raw flour from the dough could contaminate the filling. Not likely to make you sick, but better safe...
Margaux Laskey, Senior Staff Editor, NYT Cooking
Hand mixer should be fine. Just make sure everything is smooth. Little lumps of butter and sugar can escape those whisks.
Megan
Made this for a competitive Friendsgiving event and won first place in the "something sweet" category. It's quite tasty, but when you're the one making it, you're less tempted to eat much after you know how much sugar goes in.
John
It mean use conventional brands like Skippy or Gif, not the kind with no additives where the oil tends to separate out.
mollie
Whoa. So I made this sans cream (I was out), thus the chocolate coating is not as soft. I cut the recipe in half and it worked really well. I highly recommend anything by Erin, the woman knows her bake!
Ruth Smith
My kids made this for me for my birthday, and it was wonderful. I think it's better than the chocolate peanut butter cake I normally make for my husband's birthday. And...it's even better the next day after it's sat overnight.
Ruth Smith
I should also add we used crunchy peanut butter and we all loved it and thought it wouldn't have been as good with creamy.
Julia
Could I do this with an electric hand mixer or is a standing mixer a must?
Emily
Cut the recipe in half and use a 9” pie tin
Mark T
I didn’t have coconut oil, or quite enough regular peanut butter, so I used canola oil and 50g of natural peanut butter as substitutes, and it all came out fine. Also I made 2/3 the amount if glaze (8oz chocolate, 1/2c heavy cream, 2 tsp oil) and that was plenty.
jlv
I use a 12" pizza pan. It can easily serve 25-30. Very good and fun!
Suzaan
What can I substitute for the coconut oil? I don't like coconut flavor. Grape oil?
Robin
use refined coconut oil, it has no coconut taste
Joani
Big hit at Thanksgiving! Made it in a 10” springform, and piped some peanut butter frosting on top to make it look more festive.
Barbara
What do you mean when you say "not natural" creamy peanut butter?
Trey
Jif and Skippy make "natural" peanut butters - they have brown lids - with less salt and sugar, so she's saying to use the regular thing.
Molly
Just make it. oh. my. god.
Lewis
Baked in 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper. Baked the shortbread for 18 minutes at 350 convection bake. Lifted it out to cool, then put it back to add the peanut butter and chocolate layers. Refrigerated overnight to set, then took the finished "cookie" out and cut 4x8 (32 pieces). Chocolate ganache layer was very soft, even after overnight in the refrigerator. Would make it with less cream (maybe 1/4 or 1/2 cup) next time.
Lewis
We liked this cookie. Made it per the recipe in a 9x13 pan instead of a 9" round pan. Cut it into rectangles, sort of like brownies. Baked the shortbread for 18 minutes. We thought the chocolate layer (ganache) was too soft. Probably will use less cream next time so it will get hard. Probably will make it again some time.
Lynn
I wanted to love this, but in the end I thought it turned out just OK. Followed the recipe to a T. Didn’t love the flavor of the shortbread, maybe less of it as reviewers suggested is the secret? Agree this made too much chocolate glaze, I used probably about half of it, maybe even less.
Chase
Great pub filling but cookie base seemed too thick.
Irene
Perfect treat for Peanut Butter and Chocolate lovers. Thanks to the suggestions, I made a half recipe of the shortbread and the peanut butter filling. Made a full recipe of the chocolate glaze but used only half ot it. Now I'll have to make the shortbread and PB again so that I can use the leftover ganache.
Dan
I honestly thought there was too much chocolate ganache on top. I shaved some off after I made it and the taste balanced better. Also the only jar of PB I had was natural PB from Trader Joes and it worked fine. I've made a similar Chocolate peanut butter tarte before that used cream cheese as a mixer for the peanut butter instead of butter, and honestly I think that cream cheese works better than butter. Still really enjoyed this recipe.
sheryl
Made this with Swerve brown and confectioners sugar to cut down the carbs a bit; actually turned out great and the cookie held together fine. Really does taste like a Tagalong cookie!
emily
The texture came out fine. I just thought it was pretty sweet, but I guess I should have seen that coming given the nature of the dessert.
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