Strawberry & Chocolate Ganache Cookie Cups! Need any easy Valentine's Day treat? These chocolate cookie "cups" are filled with smooth, creamy chocolate ganache and topped with fresh strawberries for a crowd-pleasing dessert that comes together in no time.
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At the risk of sounding like a real party pooper, I will readily admit that the last time I felt any real excitement about Valentine's Day, there was probably a DIY shoe box "mailbox" and sheet of Lisa Frank perforated Valentines involved.
But far be it from me to keep you Cupid-loving, heart-shaped-box-of-chocolate-buying Valentine's nuts from enjoying the day. I may not be into long stemmed roses, but I'll never turn up my nose at an occasion that calls for chocolate and dessert, so I made you these:
Strawberry & Chocolate Ganache Cookie Cups.
So rich. So decadent. And most importantly, SO. DARN. EASY. Since we're on the topic of "love", here's why I love these so much:
- The cookie cups are made from a very basic chocolate dough that I {barely} adapted from Oh Sweet Basil. She made hers with dark chocolate cocoa powder, which you're welcome to do, too, but since I didn't have any, I just used the regular kind. I love these kinds of recipes because I almost always have all of the required ingredients on hand.
- The ganache filling takes seconds to make. If you're not particularly fond of having a pool of silky chocolate sitting in the middle of your cookie cup then
we can't be friendshave no fear -- you can fill the middle with whatever you'd like. Whipped cream. Jam. No bake cheesecake filling. Pudding. Kale. {Just kidding. Please don't ever do that.} - They're topped with fresh strawberries which not only give them a pop of gorgeous red that is perfect for the occasion, but also add a bit of fresh produce which basically constitutes these as a health food. {That's how it works, right?}
- They're made in a mini muffin tin, and we all know what a fool I am for mini foods.
Flavor Variations
If chocolate and strawberries aren't your thing, you can alter the flavors by using extracts or liqueurs in the ganache and topping the cookie cups with other fruits, nuts or embellishments. Start by stirring in ¼ teaspoon of extract {or 1 tablespoon of liqueur} to the ganache until the desired intensity is achieved. Here are a few flavor alternatives you might want to try for different holidays and occasions:
- Almond extract + sliced almond
- Mint extract + crushed peppermint
- Orange extract + candied orange zest
- Amaretto liqueur + fresh or maraschino cherry
- Irish Cream liqueur + whipped cream topping
- Raspberry liqueur + fresh raspberry on top
- Hazelnut liqueur + chopped hazelnuts
- Sprinkles!
- These cookie cups are so easy to make that even little ones can get in on the action -- they'll love pressing the dough down into the mini muffin tins, filling the centers with the shiny ganache, and sprinkling on their favorite toppings.
Tools For Making Cookie Cups
I am a firm believer that you don't need a kitchen filled with gadgets in order to make delicious things, but I will admit that, from time to time, there are tools that come in handy when it comes to certain recipes.
First thing's first: You'll need a mini muffin pan to make these. I suppose you could also use a regular sized muffin pan, but you will end up with much larger cookie cups and probably be mad at me because then you'll be forced to eat double the amount in order not to be wasteful. I have a metal one and it almost never gives me issues, especially when I give it a light spray with oil before I bake in it, but if you're worried about sticking, you can always use a mini muffin pan made of silicone.
Next up: Forming the dough into cups. In a pinch, these cookie cups are easy to make simply pressing the dough into a mini muffin tin with your fingers, but I've found that using something like a tart tamper makes the process much easier. I like to rub the end of the tamper with a little flour and the use it to pat the dough into the well.
Finally, comes filling! Again, you don't really need any special tools for this. You can simply spoon some ganache into each little well. However, if you'd like a more polished look, piping the ganache using a piping bag or zip-top bag with the tip snipped is the neatest way to fill your cups.
How to Make Ganache
Ganache sounds like an awfully fancy word, and may strike terror into your heart if you aren't an advanced baker, but fear not! Ganache is simply a mixture made with chocolate and warm cream. Combined, they turn into a shiny, luxuriously silky and decadent treat that is perfect for filling tarts (or cookie cups), whipping into frosting or even making truffles.
The ratio of chocolate to cream is what determines how thick or loose the mixture is, and therefore, the use. For example, you'll want a thicker ganache if you're planning on rolling it into truffles, and a thinner one if you're using it as the decoration on a drip cake. For this cookie cup recipe, you'll want a ganache that's somewhere in between.
Making ganache is super simple: Heat heavy cream in a microwave-proof bowl for about 45 seconds. Add the chocolate chips to the hot cream and let sit for about a minute. {If you're adding extracts or liqueur, you'll want to stir them in at this point.} Whisk the mixture until smooth, shiny and fully melted, then let it cool and thicken a bit before pouring it into a piping bag or zip-top bag for filling the cups.
More Valentine's Day Treats
Looking for more sweet treats to share with your sweetheart? Check out some of my other favorites:
Are you a person who enjoys celebrating Valentine's Day? Whether you're into it or not, I can promise you that you'll be VERY into these tasty little treats! Tell me which variation you'd try!
Strawberry & Chocolate Ganache Cookie Cups
Ingredients
For cookie cups:
- 8 tablespoons butter softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
For Ganache:
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips {or milk chocolate if you prefer sweeter}
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream
For topping:
- 24 strawberry slices
- Mint leaves for embellishment if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 12 well mini muffin tins or spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until well-combined, about 1-2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- Stop the mixer and add the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Mix until everything is fully combined and the dough is uniform in color.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the dough into each muffin tin well, pressing it up the sides and creating an indentation in the center.
- Bake for about 10-11 minutes or until the dough is just set.
- Meanwhile, make the ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a microwave-proof bowl for about 45 seconds. Add the chocolate chips to the hot cream and let sit for about a minute. {If you're adding extracts or liqueur, you may do so at this point.} Whisk until smooth and fully melted. Spoon the ganache mixture into a zip top bag -- you'll use this to pipe the filling into each cookie cup.
- Remove the cookie cups from oven. If the centers have puffed up, use the back of a tablespoon to press down the center again while it's still warm. Let cool for about 10-15 minutes.
- When you're ready to pipe in the filling, snip one corner of the zip top bag and squeeze the ganache into each cup, dividing evenly among all 24.
- Top each cup with a strawberry slice or desired topping and garnish with mint leaf if desired.
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