You can use any cookie you'd like to make this crust (check out the Dough Recipes from Part 1 of the class for some inspiration!). Keep in mind that depending on the texture and dryness of your cookies, you may need to add more or less butter for the crust to hold together (e.g. a chewy chocolate chip cookie will need less help than a drier wafer-style cookie).
Get creative! Use oreo-type cookies for a killer chocolate crust, or grab some speculoos cookies if your flavor story is warm and cozy. You can also add sugar, salt, or other spices, brown your butter before adding it (see note at the bottom of the recipe), or toss in some toasted nuts.
Ingredients
225 g cookies
25-50 g unsalted butter or brown butter, melted (or more as needed)
Method
- Put the cookies in a food processor and pulse until you achieve a sandy texture.
- If you don't have a food processor, you can use a high-powered blender or crumble the cookies by hand, being sure to break them down into as fine a state as possible.
- In a bowl, add 25g of the melted butter into the ground cookie mixture. If it's moist enough to form a ball at this point, you can stop—if not, keep adding butter a little at a time until it holds together.
- Using your fingers and the palms of your hands, press the cookie crust firmly into your pie plate. Make sure the bottom and walls of the plate are fully and evenly covered.
- Wrapped in plastic, this type of crust can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.
Brown Butter Variation:
- To brown your butter, place it in a microwave-safe bowl (ideally Pyrex), cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate, and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Check on it — by this time the butter will have melted, and the solids at the bottom will have begun browning.
- If more browning is desired, continue microwaving in 20-30 second increments for no more than a total of 2 more minutes. You can also slowly brown your butter on the stove over medium-low heat, whisking regularly until the butter has browned.