Description
Delight in these Puppy Chow Cookies, combining the nostalgic flavors of peanut butter, crunchy Chex cereal, and a luscious chocolate ganache topping. These cookies offer a perfect balance of soft and crunchy textures, finished with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, muddy buddies, and flaked salt for an irresistible treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup (113.5 g) butter, room temperature
- ½ cup (129 g) creamy peanut butter, not natural
- ¾ cup (165 g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1⅓ cups (186 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (62 g) broken-up Chex cereal (rice or corn)
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup (180 g) milk chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup (78.86 ml) heavy whipping cream
Toppings
- Powdered sugar for sprinkling
- Muddy buddies for topping
- Flaked salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line 2-3 cookie sheets with parchment paper to prepare for baking.
- Mix Butter, Peanut Butter, and Sugars: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Slowly mix in the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour carefully to avoid over mixing. Stop mixing when some flour remnants remain. Fold in the broken Chex cereal gently.
- Form Cookies: Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 tablespoons), scoop dough into balls and place 5-6 balls per cookie sheet. Flatten each ball slightly with your fingers.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes to allow centers to set.
- Prepare Ganache: While cookies bake, place milk chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat heavy cream until it just begins to boil, then pour over the chocolate chips. Stir until smooth and melted, then let cool and thicken.
- Apply Ganache and Finish: Spread the chocolate ganache over the cooled cookies. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm. Finally, sprinkle with powdered sugar, muddy buddies, and a pinch of flaked salt before serving.
Notes
- Use popular commercial peanut butters such as Skippy, Jif, or Peter Pan for best results; natural peanut butter may prevent the cookies from setting properly.
- The chocolate ganache thickens as it cools, usually within 20-30 minutes depending on room temperature.
- Grams measurements provide the most accuracy, especially when measuring flour; spoon flour lightly into measuring cup instead of packing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
