Cookie Butter!!

I have a new obsession.  Like crazy obsession.  Have you tried Cookie Butter?  Have you heard of it?  Cookie Butter is an amazing treat that is somewhat similar to peanut butter in texture.  But it is made from cookies.  Yep, cookies.  I don’t know how they do it, but they blend cookies that taste like graham crackers into a smooth, thick butter. 

Who makes such a yummy treat, you ask?  I have found my favorite at Trader Joe’s.  It is in a peanut butter-esque jar, and it is called Speculoos Cookie Butter.  Apparently Speculoos cookies are some sort of magical Belgian cookie.  My second favorite, and it is a very close second, is Biscoff Spread.  It is made from Biscoff cookies, which are again….European.  Biscoff is pretty widely available.

The first time I tried cookie butter, I knew I wanted it on everything.  As a dip for pretzels, on sandwiches, on pancakes, on ice cream, by the spoonful, etc.  I started getting creative with it.  I have come up with a million different uses, and today I am going to show you my three favorite.  So run on out and get yourself some cookie butter because you will want to make all three of these recipes ASAP.

My first recipe is Cookie Butter Whoopie Pies.  Whoopie pies are cake like sandwich cookies, basically.  The filling in the middle is usually pretty similar to frosting.  I use a chocolate cake mix for my “cookies” and my filling is a magical mixture of cookie butter and marshmallow fluff.  Let me walk you through it.

I start with a chocolate cake mix.  Easy enough, right?  But instead of following the directions on the back, I use butter instead of oil, a little bit of milk instead of a large amount of water, and two eggs.  The object is to get a thick cake batter.  While cake batter would normally be runny, this will be thick like cookie dough.  I scoop the batter onto a cookie sheet with a mini ice cream scoop and let the guys bake for about eight minutes.  The cookies will flatten, but they will remain cakey and soft.

The filling for these Whoopie Pies is just what I said above.  I mix together marshmallow fluff with Cookie Butter in my mixer.  I add a smidge of milk to smooth it out.  This filling gets sandwiched between two of my cooled cake like cookies.  The result is pure genius.  The cookies are soft and chocolatey and the filling taste like smooth creamy graham crackers and marshmallows.  The whole thing is very reminiscent of S’mores.

The best part about these?  They take minutes to make and they could not be easier.

My next use for Cookie Butter is in a soft, smooth buttercream frosting.  I bake lemon cupcakes, again from a mix, and the cupcakes get topped with a mixture of butter, Cookie Butter, powdered sugar and heavy cream.  Are you kidding me?  Heaven on a cupcake.

For my lemon cupcakes, again, I don’t follow the directions on the box.  I use milk instead of water, and I throw in an extra egg.  This makes for a richer, less “store-bought” cupcake.

For the frosting, I mix Cookie Butter, softened butter and powdered sugar in my standing mixer.  I add a dash of heavy cream to smooth things out. 

The lemon cupcakes pairs so well with the Cookie Butter Buttercream.  I have always loved lemon and graham crackers together, and this combination is beyond perfect.  I gave these cupcakes to my daughter’s softball team last night, and they were a hit!  I think this frosting would also be perfect on a spice cake, or even a carrot cake.  Really, what cake wouldn’t benefit from a Cookie Butter Buttercream?

My last little treat using Cookie Butter has a long name……Cookie Butter Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Strawberries.  Did I just blow your mind?  These are the perfect dessert “finger food”.  They look fancy, but they really are so easy to make.

I start by cutting just the very bottoms of my strawberries off.  This will give them a flat bottom to sit on.  These need to stand up since they are getting stuffed!  Then, I hull the strawberries with my melon baller, scooping out a tad more than just the hull so I have a nice little well to fill with cheesecake.

Once the strawberries have been cut and hulled, I dip them in melted chocolate and let them sit on their little flat butts while the chocolate hardens.  While they sat, I blended together softened cream cheese, Cookie Butter, powdered sugar and a bit of heavy cream.  Once this was smooth, I piped it into my strawberry “wells”.  I used a piping bag, but you can absolutely spoon it in if you want.  I let these guys chill in the fridge for a bit, and then I serve and let the compliments fall all over me.

Everybody loves chocolate covered strawberries, right?  When you stuff them with Cookie Butter Cheesecake….it takes it to a whole ‘nother level.

 

You’re on your way out to buy Cookie Butter now, right?  You should be.  This stuff is amazing!

Cookie Butter Whoopie Pies

1 boxed chocolate cake mix, any brand

2 eggs

¼ cup butter, melted

¼ cup whole milk

For filling:

1 cup marshmallow fluff

1 cup Cookie Butter, Trader Joe’s or Biscoff

1 tablespoon whole milk or heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, blend together cake mix, melted butter, eggs and ¼ cup whole milk with a hand mixer for two minutes, scraping sides of bowl frequently.  Batter should be thick.  Scoop batter onto cookie sheet using a mini ice cream scoop for even sized cookies.  Space cookies about 1 to 2 inches apart. 

Bake cookies at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes.  Let cool.

For filling:

In a large mixing bowl, blend together marshmallow fluff, Cookie Butter and milk/cream with a hand mixer until fluffy and smooth, about a minute.  Divide filling evenly among half of the cookies.  Top each with another cookie, forming a sandwich.

Makes about 30.

 

Cookie Butter Buttercream

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened

1 cup Cookie Butter

3 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

In a large mixing bowl, blend together softened butter, Cookie Butter, powdered sugar and milk with a hand mixer until fluffy and smooth.

Makes enough for 24 cupcakes.

 

Cookie Butter Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Strawberries

1 pound ripe strawberries

Two 7 ounce containers Baker’s Dipping Chocolate

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup Cookie Butter

½ cup powdered sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream

Rinse and dry strawberries.  Using a paring knife, cut off the very bottom of each strawberry to help it stand up.  Hull each strawberry with a melon baller or teaspoon, taking out a little extra to form a well. 

Melt dipping chocolate according to package directions.  Dip each strawberry in melted chocolate, letting chocolate go about ¾ the way up.  Set strawberries upright on foil to let chocolate harden.

In a large mixing bowl, blend together softened cream cheese, Cookie Butter, powdered sugar and milk or cream with a hand mixer until smooth.  Fill each strawberry “well” with filling.  Let strawberries chill in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Makes about 20.