There Is No Shame in a Cookie Crust.
When I was in college, I took up baking to reduce the stress of attending classes I didn’t really like, in order to get a job that I really didn’t want. One Christmas, my dad gave me Nigella Lawson this How to Be an Inner Goddess , and my roommate wrapped up Ken Haedrich in a pie . I don’t bake that much anymore — it’s too much like the synthetic chemistry labs I used to go to in school — but I can bake if I have to, thanks to Lawson and Headrich.
I am still struggling with the pie, mostly out of impatience. Confectionery cannot be rushed (although it can be optimized ), which is why I have always gravitated towards crusts made from crushed cookies.
Even though I loved the taste and texture of the cookie crust, they felt like cheating, like I was cheating myself by giving up a real pie-making experience and cheating my guests by cheating on real baked goods.
Looking back, I realized that it was stupid. People tend to be grateful for the pie, regardless of the crust, and the combination of crushed cookies and butter tastes very good.
If the only thing that gets in the way of making a pie is an aversion to proper pie dough, then please just make a cookie crust. There are several options to choose from.
Think outside of Graham’s crackers and Oreos
Graham’s chocolate waffles and crackers are by far the most popular crunchy cookies, but I’ve never been one of the popular girls. Vanilla waffles, ginger, shortbread biscuits, and Italian amaretti can be used to tailor the flavor profile of the crust to your filling. (I personally think Anna’s Swedish ginger crust apple pie would be pretty cool.)
According to the pioneer woman , it is enough to combine 1–3 / 4 cups of cookie crumbs with 6–8 tablespoons of ghee and two tablespoons of sugar. (Some cookies, like Graham crackers, are real buttery sponges, so start with 6 tablespoons and add more if the mixture looks dry.)
Turn on sugar
Hedrich prefers brown sugar over white in his cracker crusts “because brown sugar has a certain stickiness that helps hold the crust together.” I also have a deeper molasses flavor and aroma that I like.
Aside from adding sugar, Haedrich also likes to add half a teaspoon of cinnamon to his Graham crackers and an ounce of unsweetened coarsely chopped chocolate to his amaretti crusts, so don’t be afraid to season the cookie crusts with powdered spice, salt, or cocoa powder.
What to do if your crumb is too crumbly
As Hadrich explains in his book, there are two ways to help a too crumbly crust come together. “By the way, a little water will make it easier to push the crust of the cracker into the pan,” he writes. “While you stir the crust and your hands are still covered in crumbs, wet your fingertips under running water and then shake them with the crumbs mixture. Continue stirring; you will immediately see the difference. “
If a little water doesn’t work, you can “mix 1 tablespoon of flour with dry ingredients, then add about 1 teaspoon of water along with butter. Mix well and rub everything together with your hands to make the crust smoother.
How to make cookie dough
Once you’ve decided which cookie to crumble, you’re ready for the simplest thing – making the crust. Again, I’m following Hadrich: crush the cookies by whisking them in a food processor, or toss them into a large zippered bag and smash them with a blunt object. Add sugar and any seasonings, then stir with your hands. Add the melted butter and toss with a fork, then pour over with your hands, rubbing everything together to form evenly moist crumbs.
Place the crumbs on a baking pan and press them to the bottom and up the sides. Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Bake at 350 ℉ on the center rack of the oven for seven minutes, then cool completely before filling and baking according to your cake recipe. If you are making an ice cream tart or cake from an ice cream box, chill the crust in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before filling.