Love and Olive Oil
Ampersandwich Cookies (Peanut Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache)

Ampersandwich Cookies (Peanut Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache)

Ampersandwich Cookies (Peanut Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache)

What do you get when you make sandwich cookies in the shape of your favorite glyph, namely, the ampersand?

Why, ampersandwich cookies, of course.

Get it? Ha!

I crack myself up sometimes.

Ampersandwich Cookies (Peanut Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache)

Ever-obsessed with all things ampersand, I had purchased this cookie cutter on Etsy over a year ago, and have been waiting for an excuse to use it.

In brainstorming flavor options for my ampersandwich cookies, I wanted a flavor combo that would reinforce their conjunctive shape, so peanut butter & jelly seemed extra appropriate. Emphasis on the &.

Ampersandwich Cookies (Peanut Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache)

These is not your elementary-school pb&j. The linzer cookies contain finely ground peanuts in place of the typical almonds or hazelnuts usually found in this type of cookie. So no actual peanut butter, though we’ll still call them as such because peanut and jelly doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. And there are both peanuts AND butter in there so technically it’s still accurate.

The fancy jam filling is like chocolate ganache meets strawberry jam. Or chocolate ganache mixed with strawberry jam, if you will. I’ve been calling it strawberry chocolate ganache, but chocolate strawberry jam is applicable too.

Ampersandwich Cookies (Peanut Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache)

After eating just one of the tender, buttery cookies, you won’t be able to resist reaching for another.

& another…

& another…

Until they’ve disappeared.

Ampersandwich Cookies (Peanut Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache)

If you plan on making asymmetrical sandwich cookies like these, remember to bake half your cookies upside down. Then you can match up the sandwiches with the ugly bottoms hidden on the inside.

Ampersandwich Cookies (Peanut Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache)

Another consideration if you want to acheive the traditional linzer effect, the bottoms of the sandwich cookies need to be solid, while the tops have the openings for the filling to show through. I cut out my bottom ampersands, flipped them on the cookie sheet, and then replaced the counterspaces.

Ampersandwich Cookies (Peanut Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache)

Of course, you can always go the traditional route and cut out simple circles with stars, hearts, and diamond shaped windows. They’ll taste just as good, even if they aren’t ampersandwiches.

Ampersandwich Cookies (Peanut Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache)

Peanut Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Chocolate Ganache

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Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup (3 oz) shelled peanuts
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups (11 oz) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup strawberry jam
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

  1. In a food processor, pulse peanuts with 1/4 cup of brown sugar until finely ground (but don’t overprocess or you’ll end up with peanut butter).
  2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add peanuts and mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.
  4. Divide dough in half and shape into flat disks; wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or until form.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Position oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.
  6. Roll out half of dough about 1/8 inch thick, between 2 sheets of lightly-floured wax paper. Cut out as many cookies as possible from dough with larger cookie cutter and transfer to baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between cookies. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until bottoms are light golden brown, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
  7. To make filling, gently melt chopped chocolate, jam, and heavy cream over the lowest heat setting, stirring until smooth. Spread about 1 teaspoon filling on bottom cookie, and sandwich with top cookie (optionally dusted with powdered sugar beforehand). Repeat with remaining sandwiches.

Adapted from Epicurious.

All images and text © / Love & Olive Oil

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30 Comments

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  2. this is out of the box!!

  3. cookies with peanut strawberry & chocolate It seems very amazing and delicious thanks for sharing with us!

    regards
    Shweta

  4. What a lovely cookies. I hope you will share same informative post in future also. Please keep sharing!!

  5. I love cookies and this is with strawberry chocolate yumm I cant wait to make it at my home!!
    thanks for the amazing recipe…

  6. seems very tasty cookies is the thing that I love the most …
    thanks for sharing the recipe with us keep sharing …

  7. These are most Beautiful cookies in the world. I really love cookies. It’s looking so yummy. Thanks for sharing.

  8. Ampersandwich cookies i love it

  9. Ampersandwich cookies, BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!

  10. Even if I never make the recipes, as a graphic designer I always enjoy the visual appeal of your recipes – beautiful photography. But this ampersand cookie speaks straight to my heart. Love the pun, too. Keep up the beautiful work.

  11. You should know that before I even finished reading your post, I immediately went to etsy and bought that cookie cutter.  I’m obsessed with ampersands, and I can’t believe I didn’t have this cookie cutter in my life before!

    This recipe looks like it needs to be the first one I make when I get my cookie cutter, and thank you SO much for all your work with this year’s #fbcookieswap!

  12. These are perhaps some of the most beautiful cookies I’ve seen in my entire life. I am an ampersand freak and I love the strawberry chocolate ganache action that’s happening here too!! Pinning! P.S. Thanks for organizing another amazing cookie swap! Always a holiday highlight for me!

  13. These are completely fun and fabulous. AWESOME cookies, Lindsay! Plus, congrats on another year of the Cookie Swap!

  14. What a great flavor combination.

  15. Hahahaha! You crack me up too! these sound divine!

  16. These look amazing! Love the flavour combo too.

  17. These look delicious.  I couldn’t find in the recipe where is said how to make the filling, just to spread the jam on the cookie.  

  18. What a great cookie. The shape is so cute. Happy Holidays and thank you for hosting this great event. 

    Dani

  19. The Chocolate Strawberry Ganache/Jam is genius! 
    What measurement of ‘peanut meal’ does your 2/3 cup shelled peanuts give you? I was thinking of making these but we have strict peanut allergy rules at schools so would use another nut meal instead (I know; it won’t be the same!!)

  20. These are seriously SO pretty!!! I’m really into the & shape. 

  21. These cookies are so cute! I’m obsessed!

    Paige

  22. These ampersand cookies are just TOO COOL! I just subscribed to the Cookie Swap so I can make sure I’m able to participate next year! Can’t wait! Looking forward to seeing the round up!

  23. What a fun shape for a cookie! I cannot wait to see the round up!

  24. these cookies are so lovely, i love the ampersand shape! the filling reminds me of a cake my dad made when I was a kid that had chocolate ganache and strawberry jam between the layers. so yummy! 

  25. Ampersands are so cute. And these cookies are even cuter!! Like seriously – the cutest cookies ever :)

    Thank you all for hosting once again. I love participating in the swap and I love supporting such a great cause too.

  26. That cookie cutter is so cute! And these cookies sound absolutely delicious. I love the filling!

  27. Making these ampersand cookies sure looks like fun.

  28. Those shapes are to die for!

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