Alexandra and Vince, friends of mine and fellow Giants fans, are always telling me about what they buy from Trader Joe's. Alexandra works right next to one, and Vince is addicted to the Speculoos Cookie Butter. Recently, he tried convincing her to grab a jar of the rather unique spread, but she-who-hates-Nutella was wary. (Yes, seriously, she doesn't like Nutella...I just ignore this fact and try to remember that we share a love for Friends, food, and baseball. :P) I wanted to try the "cookie butter" myself and see what the big deal was. An idea finally hit me while watching Pioneer Woman on Food Network. Ree Drummond was making a Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. I thought to myself, "Cookie Butter looks like peanut butter...Cookie butter could be a good substitute for peanut butter." Immediately, I set off for the kitchen...And, did it work out? Yes, absolutely, it did. It's a creamy heaven. Whipped cream-cheesecake-cookie butter deliciousness. Here's how to make it! :)
First, you're going to load twenty, whole Oreos into a food processor. Actually, first, I should warn you that this is a highly indulgent dessert. I mean...it has Oreos, butter, cream cheese, and Cool Whip. This is not the time to be concerned over calories. You could use sugar-free Oreos or "light" cream cheese, but let's be honest here... that's not what you really want. Not when it's been a rough day at work. Not when you're looking to treat yourself. So go ahead, put in all twenty Oreos. Go ahead...all the Oreos... Then, pulse a few times until the cookies are crushed into fine crumbs.
In a separate bowl, combine the chocolatey crumbs and the melted butter. Stir until the mixture resembles wet sand. In fact, it reminded me of wet soil. Think back to your childhood days, when you made Dirt Pies!
Use your hands and the bottom of a measuring cup to evenly press the crumb mixture into a 9" pie dish. This gets baked at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, just so it sets into one solid crust.
Now, for the filling... The 3 essentials are: Speculoos Cookie Butter, Cool Whip (a store brand also works just fine), and cream cheese. This combination makes a very rich, luscious pie filling!
What is Speculoos Cookie Butter supposed to be, exactly? Through the magic of Google, I learned: Speculoos is a thin, crunchy, European biscuit that's similar to gingerbread. It's also known as a Biscoff cookie. Cookie butter is made by grinding these treats into a thick paste, similar in texture to peanut butter, but still has tiny bits of cookie throughout. Personally, I thought the flavor was reminiscent of gingerbread and waffle cones...and somehow still reminded me of peanut butter. (Although, zero peanuts are actually used in making this spread...Magic, really.)
To start, combine the 8 oz. of cream cheese and 1 heaping cup of cookie butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Ree Drummond said that she eyeballs 1 cup because she doesn't like getting a measuring cup dirty with sticky peanut butter. This is exactly how I feel. So, I say "heaping" cup because I eyeballed the measurement and may have added a bit more...about 2/3 of the entire jar.
Whisk the two ingredients together until well-blended, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl every so often. This mixture will still look dense.
Next, add the powdered sugar. Cookie butter is sweeter than peanut butter, so I only used 1/3 cup of powdered sugar. You can add more in 1/3 cup increments, taste-testing after each addition until you reach a desired level of sweetness. Notice, this mixture is still quite dense.
At last, the Cool Whip is whisked in and the filling lightens and transforms...
Once you're done with the mixer, feel free to taste-test and lick the whisk clean...I did.
Using a spatula, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl one last time to make sure everything is fully incorporated. No speck of cookie butter should ever be left behind!
Pour the filling into the prepared (and completely cooled!) Oreo crust. Take a moment to admire the velvety, rich cloud before you...
Alright, alright, seriously... Use a spatula to spread the filling into a uniform layer. Finally, place the pie in the freezer for at least 25 minutes or up to an hour. The mixture will thicken and firm up.
Making this dessert a day ahead? Let the filling freeze for about an hour, then cover the pie with plastic wrap. It will keep just fine in the freezer overnight, and you can later remove the plastic wrap.
This pie is best served chilled, and it 's easier to get clean-cut slices while still firm. If I'm digging into this all by myself (and don't doubt my ability to do this, I totally would and could...), I don't really care if crumbs get everywhere or the sides get smeared. But, if I'm serving this to others, the perfectionist in me definitely comes out. Cutting the pie right after it's removed from the freezer, with a sharp knife, is the way to go.
When you take a bite, the filling just melts in your mouth, but there's crunch from the Oreo cookie-crust and bits of Speculoos. To recap what I've already said: creamy heaven...very rich...luscious...fluffy...and velvety cloud. Yep. Basically.
If you love soft-serve ice cream or cheesecake, you will definitely love the texture of this pie. And, if you love the flavor of gingerbread or peanut butter, you will absolutely love this pie. It's so quick and easy to do -- 6 ingredients, 10 minute prep! -- it's perfect to make for little kids and with them, as well. And with the festive addition of Cookie Butter, it's also an ideal candidate for your holiday dessert rotation! While pecan, pumpkin, and apple are all classics, Cookie Butter Pie will give the holiday party crowd something unexpected yet delicious :)
Cookie Butter Pie (adapted from Pioneer Woman: Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie; serves 8)
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20 whole Oreos
4 tbsp Butter, melted
1 heaping cup Speculoos Cookie Butter (*I used Trader Joe's brand)
1 8-oz. package Cream Cheese, room temperature/softened
1/3 - 1 cup Powdered Sugar (*As sweet as you prefer)
1 8-oz package Cool Whip, thawed in the refrigerator
- In a food processor, add the Oreos and pulse until they are fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and stir until combined, like the texture of wet sand. Evenly press this crust mixture up the sides of and into a 9" pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Place the cookie butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, blend on medium speed. Turn the mixer off, scrape the sides of the bowl, then add the powdered sugar. Blend on medium speed for another minute, until everything is incorporated. Finally, scrape the sides of the bowl once more, add the Cool Whip, and whisk the mixture for 1 more minute. (Again, until everything is incorporated.)
- Pour the cookie butter filling into the prepared, cooled Oreo-crust. Using a spatula or spoon, spread the filling into an even layer in the pie crust. Place the pie in the freezer for 25 minutes to 1 hour. The filling will become thick and firm.
- Slice and enjoy! :)
