COOKIE BUTTER PIE

Cookie Butter Pie image

Provided by Jeff Mauro, host of Sandwich King

Categories dessert

Time 3h30m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

10 ounces gingersnap cookies
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 to 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup cookie butter
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1/4 cup salted cashews, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon orange zest, optional

Steps:

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cookies and brown sugar in a food processor; pulse until the cookies form fine crumbs. Add 6 tablespoons of the melted butter and pulse a couple more times, until the mixture resembles wet sand. If the mixture seems dry, add an additional tablespoon of butter. Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing it over the bottom and up the sides. Bake until slightly dried, 7 to 8 minutes. Cool completely.
For the pie filling: Beat the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla bean paste in a clean, cold bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently scoop half the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and refrigerate. Scoop the other half of the whipped cream into a clean bowl. In the bowl the cream was whipped in (no need to clean it), beat the cream cheese on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the cookie butter and orange extract and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cookie butter mixture, being careful not to overmix. Pour the mixture into the cooled pie crust and refrigerate until set, 2 to 3 hours.
Using the pastry bag with whipped cream, decorate the top of the pie with small mounds around the perimeter. Garnish with the cashews and orange zest.