5 Ways To Re-Use Your Leftover Cookies

It’s happened to all of us at some point in life where we have a surplus of cookies at home; whether from the holidays or impulse shopping or overexcited baking, with complete disregard of measurements and portion sizes.

Anyway…we’ve all been there and I for sure have been guilty of trashing cookies because they were about to go bad or I simply had too many. Now before I’m bombarded with the speech of “there’s never enough cookies”, trust me, sometimes there are and that’s exactly why I’m writing this article.

It’s to try to prevent another innocent soul from committing the heinous crime of throwing their leftover cookies in the trash. I have for you 5 different ways you can use up your cookies and create amazing new desserts for your next sugar binge.

☞ Hack #1: Base for cheesecakes or tarts

Say you want to make a cheesecake but are out of graham crackers, you can use any leftover cookies to form the base of your cheesecake or even a tart.

For the tart you’ll need:

8-10 biscuits/cookies (depending on size)

2 tbsp sugar

Pinch of salt

1/ stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup or 113 grams)

For the cheesecake base you’ll need:

12-13 biscuits/cookies

4 tbsp sugar

130 grams unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

Use this to make amazing desserts and wow your friends and family. If you are using a cream filled biscuit like Oreo, make sure to separate the cream in the center or it will throw off your recipe. If using a slightly chewy and soft cookie for your base, reduce the amount of butter by half. They cookie already has enough moisture and will make your base too sticky.

☞ Hack #2: Turn your cookies into truffles

Ingredients:

15-20 biscuits (digestive or sugar cookies work great)

115 grams butter

200 grams condensed milk

2 tbsp coco powder (optional)

Method:

-Crumble the biscuits in a bowl and keep aside.

-Melt butter and add to the biscuit crumble. Add the condensed milk and coco powder and mix till it combines well.

-Scoop small balls and roll them to form smooth truffles. Roll them in sprinkles or shredded coconut or coco powder and cool in the refrigerator for a few hours. Enjoy your truffles!

☞ Hack #3: Homemade Cookie Butter

Cookie butter is not only addictive but also very versatile. It can be used as a garnish or filling or even eaten straight out of the jar. It’s like eating cookie dough, only safer.

Ingredients:

2 cups crumbled cookie of choice

2 tbsp sugar

¼ cup heavy cream

2 tbsp butter, melted

Method:

-Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend till desired consistency. For a crunchy batter, combine only till it comes together but you will need a minute or two for a smooth cookie butter.

-Store in a jar for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Use as desired. 

☞ Hack #4: Use it As Garnish

A crumbled cookie makes for an amazing garnish and adds a new flavour to your dessert. Use it to garnish your next ice cream sundae or banana pudding or next batch of brownies. You can never go wrong with a cookie garnish.

☞ Hack #5: Freezer Friendly Ice Cream Sandwiches

Pair your leftover cookies with your favourite pint of ice cream and store your ice cream sandwiches for a very long time…or as long as you can resist them. Freezing your cookies will make them last longer and now you not only have a new dessert, but also an excuse to buy more ice cream. I consider this a win-win.

Some good flavour combinations are:

Chocolate chip cookies with vanilla, mint chip, salted caramel and chocolate ice creams.

Sugar cookies with fruity flavours like strawberry, mango and coconut ice creams

Peanut butter cookies with chocolate, cookies and cream, coffee/mocha or burnt marshmallow ice creams.

So go ahead and create your favourite ice cream sandwich combos.

There are definitely more ways to re-use your box of cookies but these 5 tricks are easy and create some delightful new desserts. It prevents wastage and also gets your creative wheels turning. So try one of these recipes with your leftover cookies and create a wonderful new dessert!

0