Bready or Not Original: Cookie Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bars
Cookie butter makes everything better. This is a maxim of life. It is proven true yet again with these Cookie Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bars.
Cookie butter is found by the peanut butter in most grocery stores in the US these days. The most popular brands are Biscoff and Speculoos, but Walmart, Kroger, and Sprouts even have their own jars now!
What does cookie butter taste like? Well… rich, buttery cookie dough rendered into peanut butter-like form. That’s the only way to describe it.
In this recipe, the cookie butter flavor amps up the inherent baked-good yumminess of these bars. Add white chocolate and macadamias along with that? Oh yeah.
You end up with a ribbon of cookie butter through the middle and swirls across the top. These effectively acts like a thin frosting, as these otherwise aren’t heavy duty on sweetness.
The bars rise a lot as they bake and end up quite cakey. They hold together well, so you can cut them small, if you want.
I want to mention macadamia nuts again. They are lovely in this recipe, adding a sporadic crunch and buttery flavor that goes oh-so-well with everything else.
Bready or Not Original: Cookie Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter 3 sticks, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 cups brown sugar packed
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 Tb vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup macadamia nuts chopped
- 2/3 cup + 1/2 cup creamy cookie butter spread divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add in both sugars, followed by the eggs one by one, then the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Gradually mix into the wet ingredients until just incorporated.
- Spread half of the dough in the bottom of the pan. Mixture will be thick. Use an uneven spatula to spread 2/3 cup cookie butter in an even layer over the dough.
- Top with remaining dough and spread to edges. Dollop the 1/2 cup of cookie butter here and there over the top, then use a butter knife to swirl it into the dough.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the middle passes the toothpick test. Dough will rise a great deal.
- Cool completely in pan. Use the foil to lift up bars for easy cutting. Store sliced pieces in a sealed container at room temperature for as long as a week.
- OM OM NOM!
Bready or Not: No-Bake Cookie Butter Truffles
We’ll finish off the year with a sinfully sweet treat that acts in stark contrast to those diet ads already clogging the TV: No-Bake Cookie Butter Truffles.
I’ll be honest. I hate making truffles. No matter how many times I do it, or what equipment or chocolate I use, they never end up “pretty” like on other food blogs.
But heck, I’m posting pics and this recipe anyway, because these things are DELICIOUS.
White chocolate (with a touch of oil) is used to coat balls made of crushed graham crackers and cookie butter. Those are the ingredients. It’s that easy.
It’s also that good. You see those ingredients, you know exactly how this will taste.
Cookie butter has gone mainstream at this point. Speculoos and Biscoff are the traditional options, but Walmart is even carrying their own brand now! If you haven’t tried cookie butter yet… I’m sorry/not sorry about the joy I am introducing to your life.
Modified from No-Bake Speculoos Truffle Cookies in Foot Network Magazine, December 2015.
Bready or Not: No-Bake Cookie Butter Truffles
Ingredients
- 9 graham crackers 1 sleeve, about 8 ounces
- 1 1/3 cup creamy cookie butter spread
- 11 ounces white chocolate chips 1 bag
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable shortening
- nonpareils or sprinkles for decoration
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground but not powdery. Add the cookie butter and pulse the two together, scraping down the sides as needed. If the mix isn't cohesive, add a touch more cookie butter.
- Use a teaspoon scoop or spoon to form 1-inch balls. Arrange them on the cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let them set in fridge at least one hour or overnight.
- Melt the white chocolate chips and coconut oil by your preferred method, on stove top, a stand-alone melter, or microwave; note that white chocolate burns quickly, so take care!
- One at a time, drop cookie butter balls into the chocolate and flip to coat. Allow excess chocolate to drip off before returning the truffle to the wax paper sheet. Continue to coat truffles, warming chocolate as necessary. Decorate truffles with nonpareils or sprinkles.
- Let set in fridge at least 30 minutes, then transfer to a lidded container. Store in fridge. Truffles will keep at least a week.
- Recipe makes about 35 teaspoon-sized balls.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Quick Cookie Butter Pumpkin Fudge
Is frosting your favorite part of cake? Well, do I have a fudge recipe for you!
This easy microwave fudge tastes like pumpkin spice frosting. It’s that rich. That delicious. This makes a big batch, so cut the pieces small and share with a crowd!
The original version of this recipe used peanut butter. Well, you know me. Why go with cliché peanut butter when you can use creamy COOKIE BUTTER? Use Biscoff, Speculoose, or any of the new off-brand versions–heck, my local Sprouts even has their own cookie butter now!
In baked recipes, cookie butter makes cooked goodies taste like cookie dough. Here, that effect is much more mild. It adds a lovely color and helps the pumpkin and spices to shine through.
Make this for a potluck or family gathering, and share the joy of cookie butter and pumpkin spice!
Modified from Peanut Butter Pumpkin Fudge at Crazy for Crust.
Bready or Not: Quick Cookie Butter Pumpkin Fudge
Ingredients
- 4 cups white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup Creamy Biscoff or Speculoos or other brand cookie butter
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- turbinado sugar optional
Instructions
- Line an 8x8-inch pan with foil and coat it with cooking spray. Measure out all of your ingredients and have them at hand.
- Place white chocolate chips and cookie butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat on 50% power for 45 seconds--and stay close, because white chocolate can burn fast in the microwave. Stir well, then continue heating on 50% power in 25 second increments, stirring between each bout, until melted and smooth.
- (Yes, you could also do this in a saucepan over medium-low heat on the stovetop, but that wouldn't be quite as quick!)
- Once the chocolate and cookie butter are blended with no lumps, immediately stir in the pumpkin puree, spice, and vanilla extract. Combine it as fast as you can. Pour the fudge batter into the prepared pan. If desired, sprinkle turbinado sugar and some more pumpkin spice over the top.
- Place in fridge to set for several hours before cutting and serving--this makes a lot! Keep stored in a sealed container in fridge, with blocks of fudge between layers of wax paper or parchment. The fudge softens fast at room temperature.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Biscoff-Nutella Ecstasy Bars
Last week I shared Peanut Butter Ecstasy Bars. This week I switch out the peanut butter for a version that tastes even better.
The top and bottom layers use cookie butter (Biscoff, Speculoos, whichever!) while the middle layer uses just a touch of Nutella. That combination is luscious. Cookie dough and chocolate. Guh.
I mentioned before that the peanut butter version can be crumbly, especially the edge pieces. Well, this new variation is even messier. Karmic balance for the extra deliciousness, right? The middle pieces were a touch gooey, even as the edge pieces pretty much shattered as they were cut.
That’s not a bad thing here, though. These pieces are delicious. Lap them up. Save them to top ice cream or yogurt. Just please, don’t let them go to waste.
Mind you, they’ll also go to your waist, but that’s a totally separate dilemma.
Bready or Not: Biscoff-Nutella Ecstasy Bars
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup Creamy Biscoff spread or other cookie butter brand
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Filling:
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons Nutella or similar chocolate spread
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, mix butter, cookie butter, and sugar. Add the vanilla. Slowly mix in the flour. Set aside about 1 cup of the dough, and firmly press the rest into the prepared pan.
- Using the same bowl, make the filling. Beat together the eggs, Nutella, and two sugars. Spread this over the unbaked crust. Sprinkle the reserved dough over the top.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the dough it set and golden. Cool completely in pan. Slice into bars. The bars may be crumbly, especially the edge pieces, but every bit is delicious. Keeps for at least 3 days in a sealed container.
- OM NOM NOM!
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Bready or Not: Biscoff Shortbread Cookies
This is a very meta recipe. Biscoff is a Belgian shortbread cookie you can buy in stores. This recipe uses Biscoff spread to make Biscoff-type shortbread. Whoa.
I actually did a from-scratch version of Biscoff cookies a few years ago, too.
These cookies expand a good bit in the oven, so keep that in mind when you put the dough on the baking sheet. The dough isn’t bad to work with once chilled; if need be, you can add a little water to soften it, or more flour to thicken.
The end result looks like it’s fragile but they are actually quite crisp while still being chewy.
Being shortbread, these are excellent with tea, coffee, or just about anything. Heck, you could even smear Biscoff between two and make them super-meta-Biscoff-sandwich-cookies. Live dangerously.
Modified from The Café Sucre Farine.
Bready or Not: Biscoff Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2/3 cup Creamy Biscoff Spread
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Use an electric mixer to beat the butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the Biscoff spread, salt and vanilla extract. Slowly blend in the flour until just combined.
- Divide the dough in half and shape into two discs; wrap each in plastic wrap and stash in the fridge until chilled, at least a few hours or up to a few days.
- Preheat the oven at 350-degrees. Prepare baking sheets by using parchment paper or use seasoned stoneware.
- Set one of the discs on a lightly floured surface and roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness or just under. Cut cookies into desired shapes and arrange on baking sheet; note that they will spread a good bit, even chilled.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes, until they are firm and golden. Let them sit on baking sheet for 10 minutes then move to wire rack to completely cool. Store cookies in sealed container at room temperature. Best eaten within 2 days.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Biscoff Oreo Blondies (Redux)
This week, as I dash off to WorldCon, I share a re-do of a Biscoff Oreo Blondies recipe I first featured on my LiveJournal back in 2013. I modified it from the original Peanut Butter Oreo Blondies at Crepes of Wrath.
But this time when I made it, I modified it more. MORE OREOS. MORE CHOCOLATE CHIPS. MORE HAPPINESS.
I love Biscoff spread (also known as Speculoos at Trader Joe’s). It’s crack in a jar. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s cookie butter: yes, really, the consistency of a nut butter, but made of cookies.
Yeah. This is not health food. It ain’t gluten-free, either.
If it’s paleo, I want to join that tribe.
If you don’t like Biscoff (BLASPHEMER! BEGONE!) or can’t find it (though it’s at a lot of Wal-marts, Targets, and World Markets), you can substitute nut butter for this recipe, too. Not the natural type, though. You want it moister.
Oh yeah. I used Double-Stuf Oreos, too. Because those are the best kind.
The end result is a luscious, thick, chewy bar that’s like a cookie on steroids. Cookie butter does that to baked goods. It’s magic.
Mix up the add-ins if you want. Use dark chocolate. Use different kinds of Oreos or different cookies all together.
Live dangerously. And scrape clean that Biscoff jar when it’s empty.
Bready or Not: Biscoff Oreo Blondies (Redux)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, melted
- 2/3 cup Biscoff spread or other cookie butter brand
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups Oreos roughly crushed
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350-degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil or parchment and apply nonstick spray.
- Whisk together your flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the sugars and melted butter. Add cookie butter and mix to combine. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition, then the vanilla extract. Gradually add in the flour mixture, mixing until just moistened. The dough will be very thick. Fold in most of the Oreos and chocolate chips; save some to make the top pretty, if you want.
- Press the thick dough into the pan as evenly as possible. Press in the remaining Oreos and chips.
- Bake for 24-30 minutes, until the blondies are lightly golden and set.
- Allow them to cool completely before cutting into bars and serving. These will keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, if they last that long.
- OM NOM NOM!
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