These Valentine’s Day peanut butter cookie bars are one of our favorite Valentine’s Day treats in our house. Peanut butter cookies with all of the best Valentine’s candies cut into perfect squares. Scroll down for my recipe.
Valentine’s Day Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, unsalted, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
Valentine’s M&Ms
Valentine’s sprinkles
Reese’s hearts (about 6)
White chocolate hearts (about 6)
Directions:
1.) Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.
2.) In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and egg until smooth.
3.) Beat in the flour until a soft dough forms
4.) Fold in the M&Ms.
5.) Spread dough into a greased baking dish or one lined with parchment paper. Firmly press the dough down. (I used a 9×9 baking dish).
6.) Top with sprinkles and add some more M&M’s on top.
7.) Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes. You want to remove it when the edges are golden and you can stick a butter knife or toothpick in and it comes out clean.
8.) Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool but not completely.
9.) Unwrap the Reese’s and chocolate hearts and press into the top of the cookie bars.
These are the best pistachio thumbprint cookies and will easily become a favorite Christmas cookie! Sweet pistachio topped with a cheesecake filling or raspberry jam are the perfect bite and look festive for your Christmas cookie swaps or platters.
And I’m sharing 15 other delicious Christmas treats for you from some of my most favorite bloggers. Scroll down to see all of their recipes.
If you’re coming from Michele at Vintage Home Designs, welcome! I hope you will stick around here and continue to follow along. Also how delicious do her shortbread cookies look?
The best pistachio thumbprint cookies
One of my favorite things that I used to have every Christmas is my grandmother’s pistachio ambrosia. I loved it so much and it just wasn’t Christmas without it. This recipe combines my favorite flavors of pistachio with my favorite Christmas cookie – my sister’s almond raspberry thumbprints.
I made a yummy cheesecake filling for these cookies but you can also fill with raspberry jam too!
Ingredients
1 cup butter softened (I used unsalted)
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 package instant pistachio pudding mix
2 cups nuts chopped (I used walnuts/pecans)
For the filling
1/2 cup cream cheese.
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
or raspberry jam (optional)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Directions:
1.) Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.
2.) In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
3.) Beat in the eggs, salt and extracts.
4.) Add in the flour and pistachio pudding mix, beating together until combined.
5.) Roll the batter into individual balls, about 1 inch. Roll some or all of the balls into the chopped nuts and place on a prepared baking sheet.
6.) Using your thumb, make a thumbprint in the center of each cookie.
7.) Bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. You want to take them out just before the edges start to get golden.
8.) Using a spoon or your thumb, re-shape the thumbprint if necessary as sometimes it changes shape after baking.
9.) Allow the cookies to cool.
10.) While the cookies are cooling, start to prepare the cheesecake filling. In a mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and sugar.
11.) Beat in the vanilla and make sure there are no lumps.
12.) Fill in each cookie with either the cream cheese filling or raspberry jam. I chose to do some of each.
13.) In a microwave safe bowl, melt some chocolate chips, stirring at 30 second intervals.
14.) Once melted, use a fork to drizzle some chocolate over each cookie.
15.) Allow the chocolate to cool before eating.
These also freeze really well so you can make ahead of time! I line some parchment paper in an airtight storage container and freeze until the day of.
Raise your hand if you like an easy recipe. These muffin tin cookie pies are foolproof and they look super cute too! Whip them up for when you’re having friends over or heading to your summer picnics for an effortless dessert that everyone will love!
The best part about these muffin tin cookie pies is that you can top them with anything your little heart desires! From whipped cream and berries, to lemon curd and coconut, or in the fall maybe some pumpkin pie filling, mmmm. Scroll down to see how to make these muffin tin cookie pies.
Muffin tin cookie pies
Ingredients:
1 pack of refrigerated sugar cookie dough
Whipped cream
Berries
Lemon curd
Directions:
1.) Preheat your oven to the desired temperature on the cookie dough instructions, usually 325-350 degrees.
2.) Start by spraying your muffin pan with nonstick baking spray.
3.) Roll dough into a small ball, about 1 inch, press into your hand to flatten and then press into the muffin pan going up the sides. Tip – You can also use the bottom of a small shot glass to give you a perfect cup shape.
4.) Repeat with the remaining dough until the muffin tin tray is full.
5.) Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden.
6.) Allow to cool, then remove from pan and place on a cooling rack. I used a butter knife along the edges to help me get them out of the pan.
7.) When ready to serve, place the cookie cups on a large serving platter or dish and fill with your toppings of choice. I used whipped cream and lemon curd and topped with fresh berries.
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Muffin tin cookie pies
This is the easiest dessert recipe you will ever make and it is sure to be a favorite! Top with seasonal fruit or whatever toppings sparkle your fancy!
Preheat your oven to the desired temperature on the cookie dough instructions, usually 325-350 degrees.
Start by spraying your muffin pan with nonstick baking spray.
Roll dough into a small ball, about 1 inch, press into your hand to flatten and then press into the muffin pan going up the sides. Tip – You can also use the bottom of a small shot glass to give you a perfect cup shape.
Repeat with the remaining dough until the muffin tin tray is full.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden.
Allow to cool, then remove from pan and place on a cooling rack. I used a butter knife along the edges to help me get them out of the pan.
When ready to serve, place the cookie cups on a large serving platter or dish and fill with your toppings of choice. I used whipped cream and lemon curd and topped with fresh berries.
Today I’m sharing my Boozy Chocolate Hazelnut Truffles and more Christmas cookie recipes from some of my friends. (Be sure to follow over on my Instagram too!) My favorite Christmas memory is for sure holiday baking and all the Christmas cookies. My mom used to do a cookie swap every year with her girlfriends. She would make a bunch of cookies ahead of time and pop them in the freezer. My sisters and I knew where they were and we’d go down and sneak some when no one was looking. One year, my mom went to go to her cookie swap and all the cookies were gone! She had to make over 6 dozen cookies last minute, needless to say she wasn’t happy but we laugh about it now.
These chocolate hazelnut truffles are dairy free and made with my homemade Chocolate Hazelnut Liqueur. They’re super rich and decadent and make great homemade gifts too!
Scroll down for my printable recipe and be sure to check out the other Christmas cookie recipes from my friends!
These boozy chocolate hazelnut truffles are made with my homemade chocoloate hazelnut liqueur. They are super rich and decadent and also makes great gifts for people throughout the holidays as well! This is a dairy free recipe so perfect if you are vegan or plant-based.
1/2cupmy homemade chocolate hazelnut liqueur(you can also omit)
1/4cupsoft silken tofu
confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, chopped nuts, chopped candy canes(option for rolling the truffles in)
Instructions
In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and butter. Heat on 30 second intervals, stopping to mix well in between, continue until completely melted.
Once melted, pour in the liqueur, stirring well.
Add in the tofu and blend using an immersion blender.
Pop in the fridge for about 3 hours so that it can thicken up and solidify.
Once the mixture is firm, take out of the refrigerator and start rolling into balls.
Prepare a few bowls of chopped candy canes, chopped nuts, powdered sugar, cocoa powder or whatever you choose for topping your truffles.
Roll your chocolate truffles into the toppings.
Store in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to serve. Once serving, serve chilled as they become soft at room temp.
