Pistachio Butter Cookie Dough Cookie Cake

This cookie cake is already on another level with the use of pistachio butter, and then I had to add pistachio butter cookie dough on top.

Normally I am all over the St. Patrick’s Day-inspired recipes but this year has escaped me – seems like a recurring theme for 2018 thus far. Not that I haven’t had ideas. I actually have a running list of recipes ideas for every holiday because I inevitably cannot make every single idea I come up with in one year. I just haven’t spent much time in the kitchen.

But I do have this slightly green recipe to share with you today. It’s more in the naturally green-tinged category as it is a cookie cake made with pistachio butter! I even went ahead and made some more egg-free pistachio butter cookie dough to put on top because who is opposed to more cookie dough magic?

Sure you could make this with peanut butter (in fact I already have) but how can you resist the idea of a pistachio cookie cake with more than just chopped pistachios mixed in? Pistachio butter and pistachios in the batter, and then more pistachio butter and pistachios in the cookie dough on top.

Not gonna lie, I originally made the pistachio butter cookie dough into bite-sized balls for dipping into chocolate (remember that fondue party I told you about?). But I made too many and had to find a new purpose for them before Bob and I ate them all. I debated many uses but cookie dough on top of cookie cake resonated with my soul. And I figured I’d give you something more exciting than just a recipe to make cookie dough balls.

So if you happen to have any cookie dough leftover, I strongly suggest dipping them into some melted dark chocolate. Otherwise, load up the cookie dough on top of that cookie cake because there’s nothing better than a perfectly cooked cookie cake topped with edible cookie dough.

Three years ago: Homemade Pistachio Butter

Four years ago: Leprechaun Pizza

Five years ago: Kale Quiche

PISTACHIO BUTTER COOKIE DOUGH COOKIE CAKE

Serves 12

Ingredients:

COOKIE CAKE

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

3/4 cup creamy pistachio butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pistachios

COOKIE DOUGH TOPPING

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup creamy pistachio butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour (heat treated*)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper in the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Grease the sides.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Mix in pistachio butter, egg and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and pistachios. Dough will be thick and sticky.
4. Spread the cookie dough out evenly into the pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
6. While the cake cools, prepare the topping. Using a hand mixer, in a medium bowl cream together the butter, pistachio butter, and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla then mix in flour and salt on low speed until fully incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and pistachios with a spatula or wooden spoon.
7. Once cookie cake is cool, crumble cookie dough on top with more chocolate chips if desired.

Source: Cookie cake adapted slightly from my Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Cake and my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Buckeyes.

*Raw eggs are not the only possible source of bacterial contamination, raw flour is also a culprit. Heat treat by heating in microwave to 160 degrees F – about 1 minute stirring every 15 seconds.