Nothing is more frustrating than spending the time and effort to bake delicious gourmet cookies only for them to come out dry. You may be tempted to throw them into the trash, but hang on just a minute; you may be able to save your hard work or at least create a new masterpiece.
The same thing goes for stale cookies. Have you ever had cookies that sat out too long and went stale? Unfortunately, for reasons we may not fully understand, this type of thing does happen. Delicious cookies are left to dry out without ever being enjoyed.
These sad cookies, whether dry directly from baking or sitting out too long, should not be wasted. Use up these delicious morsels with one or more of the ideas below.
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Breathe New Life Into Your Cookies
You can breathe new life (or moisture) into dry or stale cookies with one of the following options.
1. Add An Apple Or Slice Of Bread
Place your dry cookies into a zipper baggie or a cookie jar. Add a slice of bread or apple and let them sit overnight. The next day, your cookies will be softer.
2. Microwave
Place a plate of cookies and a cup of water into the microwave- heat on low for 10 to 20-second intervals. Check frequently. Do not overcook, or your cookie will end up ruined. Be sure to use microwavable dishes.
If adding moisture back into your cookies doesn’t work or you simply don’t like that idea, give your cookies a new purpose by using them in some of the following ways.
1. Pie Crust
Many pudding or custard pie recipes call for a graham cracker crust. Your dry or stale cookies would be a great alternative. Simply crush up your dried-out cookies and use them exactly like the graham cracker crumbs in your recipe.
2. Cookie Butter
Just like nuts, cookies make great butter. Finely crush up your cookies and use a food processor to mix them with sweetened condensed milk, regular milk, and butter until creamy. This butter will taste great on toast, with apples, or even by the spoonful.
3. Cookie Pops Or Truffles
Leftover cake is perfect for making cake pops or truffles. Cookies are no different. Crush up cookies, mix with cream cheese, and dip in melted chocolate chips. Leave it as is for a truffle, or add a stick to make it a cookie pop. Dip in melted chocolate for added decadence.
4. Milkshake
Leftover cookies make a delicious ingredient for a milkshake. Mix vanilla ice cream, milk, and cookie crumbs in a blender until you achieve the desired consistency.
5. Enhance Some Old Favorites
Improve some age-old favorite treats by slightly tweaking the recipes to incorporate your dry or stale cookies.
- Magic Cookie Bars- The deliciously rich dessert known as magic cookie bars traditionally has a graham cracker base layer. Swap out the graham cracker crumbs for your cookie crumbs to create a new masterpiece.
- Rice Krispie Treats- Add some cookie crumbs to improve your traditional Rice Krispie treats.
- Bread Pudding- Instead of stale bread, put a sweet spin on your favorite bread pudding recipe using stale cookies.
- Trifle- Make a trifle using leftover cookies instead of traditional sponge cake.
- IceBox Cake- Follow your favorite recipe, subbing in your stale cookies for store bought ones. The cookies will become saturated with whipped cream or pudding for a moist, refreshing, dessert.
6. Delicious Toppings
Use your stale cookies as the perfect topping to any dish.
- Oatmeal- Sweeten your breakfast by adding cookie crumbs to your oatmeal.
- Ice Cream- The options for ice cream toppings are endless, but cookies have got to be one of the best.
- Pudding- Add some flare to plain old pudding by adding a delicious cookie crunch.
- Cake- Instead of sprinkles, opt for cookie crumbs to decorate and enhance the flavor of your cake.
- Pie- Make a cookie crumble to use in place of the traditional crumble topping for cherry, berry, peach, or other fruit pies.
7. Chocolate Bark
Use your leftover or dry cookies to make chocolate bark. This delicious treat is quick and easy to make. Simply melt chocolate chips in the microwave, spread evenly onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and top with cookie pieces.
You can also add nuts, dried fruit, or coconut. Cool at room temperature until the chocolate has hardened. Break into pieces and enjoy immediately or cover and store for up to one week.
8. Frosting
Add cookie crumbs to your favorite frosting for a delicious crunch. Use this cookie frosting on cakes, cupcakes, or as a dip.
9. Freeze For Later
If you don’t have time to turn your cookies into something else, you can freeze them for later. Finely crush cookies, place them in a zipper baggie, and lay them flat in the freezer until you’re ready to use them.
You can use your frozen cookie crumbs all at once or grab a spoonful or two whenever you want to improve your ice cream or other dessert.
If your cookies were dry right out of the oven, you may need to review your baking methods. Even a minor tweak can help ensure your next batch of cookies is better and more moist. Some things that may cause dry cookies include,
- Not Enough Fat
- Too Much Flour
- Over-Mixing The Dough
- Not Enough Liquid
- Not Refrigerating The Dough
As you can see, there is no need to hastily throw out dry or stale cookies. Unlike your high school boyfriend, you should give your cookies another chance. They are far less likely to let you down so many times.
With enough patience and practice, anyone can make a delicious batch of cookies. However, if, in the meantime, you are craving some fresh, soft-baked cookies, order some online and get cookies delivered right to your door. Maybe they’ll inspire you to keep trying.
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Dry or stale cookies can be repurposed into new treats by adding apples or bread overnight or microwaved with water. They can be used in pie crust, cookie butter, truffles, milkshakes, toppings, chocolate bark, frosting, or freezing. Address dryness issues like insufficient fat, excess flour, overmixing, or lack of liquid.
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