Photo: Natalie Levin
One of my favorite flavors combination is the oh-so-common peanut butter and jelly. I believe that if I lived in the US as a child my favorite snack would have probably been peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I love how the slight saltiness of the peanut butter combines with the sweetness of the jelly, and together it’s simply divine.
Recently I’ve made many kinds of krembo cookies. I started with the traditional vanilla and chocolate krembo cookies, then I made raspberry and mascarpone krembo cookies, and now – peanut butter krembo cookies with a jelly surprise in the center, that reveals only after the first bite.
Krembo is such a great snack that I really don’t know anyone who doesn’t like it. The combination of a crunchy cookie base topped with luscious cream and chocolate coating is just amazing. if you like peanut butter and jelly – you’re gonna love these peanut butter krembo cookies!
Photo: Natalie Levin
Peanut Butter Krembo Cookies with Jelly Surprise
For the cookie base:
- 50 grams (3 tbsp.) cold butter (cut into cubes)
- 20 grams (2 tbsp.) sugar powder
- 70 grams (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1-2 tbsp. milk
For the peanut butter cream:
- 225 grams (1 pack) mascarpone cheese (at room temperature)
- 60 grams (1/2 cup) sugar powder
- 80 grams (2 heaping tablespoons) smooth peanut butter
- 250 ml. (1 cup) cold whipping cream
For the jelly surprise:
- 100-150 grams (4-5 heaping tablespoons) raspberry or strawberry jam
For coating:
- 250 grams dark chocolate
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
For decoration:
- Roasted peanuts (coarsely chopped)
- Make the cookies: preheat oven to 170c degrees.
- In a food processor with steel blade put butter, sugar powder, flour, cornstarch, vanilla and salt and blend until small crumbles form.
- Add the milk gradually and continue to process just until large clumps of dough are formed.
- Transfer the dough chunks on a lightly floured work surface, combine with your hands and make a round disc shape.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1/2 cm thick and cut out 5-6 cm circles.
- Arrange the cookies on an oven pan lined with baking paper.
- Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes or until golden. Cool completely.
- Peanut butter cream: in a mixer bowl with a whipping attachment place mascarpone, powdered sugar and peanut butter, and whip at medium speed until the mascarpone softens slightly.
- Increase to high speed and add the heavy cream in a thin stream until you get a uniform and stable cream.
- Transfer the cream into a piping bag with a round 2 cm piping tip and drizzle a generous mound on top of each cookie.
- Transfer the jam into a small piping bag and make a small hole. Place the piping bag slightly inside the peanut butter cream and gently drizzle in some jelly.
- Cool the krembo cookies in the freezer for about an hour.
- Dark chocolate coating: melt the chocolate and place in a tall glass.
- Add oil and mix.
- Dip the Krembo in the chocolate, shake off excess chocolate and place on a pan to set. It is also possible to pour the chocolate coating on top of the krembos.
- Decorate with roasted peanuts and cool for about 10 minutes in the freezer to set.
- Keep the krembo cookies in a closed container for up to a week.
- You can use smooth peanut butter or chunky peanut butter, but the texture will change accordingly.
- You can use milk or white chocolate for the coating instead of the dark chocolate in the same amount.
- You can freeze the Krembo cookies in a sealed container for up to one month.
- You can use any flavor of jelly you like.
Photo: Natalie Levin