Decadent Valentine’s Chocolate Ganache Heart Cookies
Rich, velvety chocolate ganache filled heart-shaped cookies with a tender, buttery base. Perfect for Valentine’s Day or any chocolate lover’s treat.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ½ cups (315 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch-process preferred)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened (European-style preferred)
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 grams) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream (full-fat)
- 8 ounces (225 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (high-quality recommended)
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter
- Optional: pinch of sea salt or 1 teaspoon liqueur (e.g., Grand Marnier or Chambord)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until fluffy and pale, about 3-4 minutes.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract; mix until just combined.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just incorporated. Chill dough 15 minutes if sticky.
- Lightly flour surface and rolling pin; roll dough to ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness.
- Cut out heart shapes with cookie cutter; place on prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
- Bake 10-12 minutes until edges are firm but centers still soft. Avoid overbaking.
- Cool cookies on racks completely, about 20-30 minutes.
- Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until just simmering; remove from heat.
- Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl; let sit 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
- Stir in butter until melted and glossy. Add optional sea salt or liqueur if desired.
- Place a dollop of ganache on the flat side of one cookie; sandwich with another cookie and press gently.
- Chill assembled cookies in fridge at least 30 minutes to set ganache.
Notes
Chill dough before rolling to prevent spreading. Use quality chocolate with at least 60% cocoa solids for best ganache texture. Avoid overmixing dough after adding flour. Check cookies closely near end of baking to avoid overbaking. If ganache thickens too much, gently warm before filling. Cookies can be stored in airtight container in fridge up to 5 days or frozen up to 2 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 90
- Fat: 11
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 2
Keywords: Valentine's Day cookies, chocolate ganache cookies, heart-shaped cookies, chocolate cookies, easy chocolate dessert