Delicious scooped by the spoonful, cookie butter is great spread on everything from bagels and pancakes to apple slices and ice cream. It's also good mixed into baked goods such as cookies or fragrant tea cakes to go with a steaming hot cup of something.
Cookie Butter can be purchased by the jar at Trader Joe's and other shops, but you can also make it at home in just a few minutes. Just crush the cookies into fine crumbs, soften with hot milk, sweeten with a bit of honey or sugar, and smooth with softened butter or shortening. Refrigerate the butter after making and it will slightly harden into a deliciously sweet paste.
Traditionally made with gingerbread-esque Speculoos cookies, cookie butter can be made with any crispy cookie from ginger spice to chocolate. Experiment with different types to see what you like best. You can also add a variety of spices to enhance the unique flavor of the cookie you use. Try vanilla cookies with nutmeg, ginger snaps with an extra dose of ginger, or dark chocolate with cinnamon.
Tea cakes are a scrumptious way to incorporate cookie butter. The flavorful butter adds richness and moisture and spreads the most luscious fragrance through the house while it bakes. Served warm with salted butter, this Cookie Butter Tea Cake recipe makes a comforting addition to afternoon tea or morning coffee.
Cookie Butter
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces crispy spiced cookies
- 1/2 cup hot milk
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- pinch of salt
Preparation:
Roughly break cookies into a food processor and pulse until mixture is reduced to fine crumbs.
Pour crumbs into bowl and cover with hot milk, stirring to incorporate, making sure there are no large chunks.
Whisk in honey, cinnamon, butter, and salt until smooth.
Pour into storage container and refrigerate at least 60 minutes or until ready to use.
Cookie Butter Tea Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar or honey
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup cookie butter
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line loaf pan with baking paper.
In medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well until no flour is visible.
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Serve warm with butter.
All photos courtesy of author except first, by Joy.
