I fell for it again!!! Am I the only one who, when I stop at the highway service station, get tempted by those huge tubes of cookies advertised as a “deal”??? I call it a fake deal because when I’m there they seem like a bargain, but thinking clearly after the purchase I realize they cost twice as much as at the supermarket.
But I just can’t help myself… I always buy them! If we actually ate them it wouldn’t be a problem; the worrying thing is that then nobody eats them.
At this point you’ll understand why I decided to make a No-Bake Cake with leftover cookies.
The season is perfect for it because with this heat nobody wants to turn on the oven, but a little dessert never hurts, so this chilled cake made with leftover cookies is ideal.
It’s a very easy cake within everyone’s reach, perfect for those with little time: it’s made without baking with a base of dry cookies (in my case Ringo cookies), cocoa and melted butter mixed together for a few seconds to obtain a crumbly mixture which, once transferred to a pan, must firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes to compact.
Meanwhile, just whip some cream, mix it with mascarpone or ricotta, a little sugar and cocoa and you’re done. You’ll be ready to assemble this layered no-bake leftover cookie cake. A few more minutes in the fridge to set and the dessert is ready.
A chilled cake with a soft yet crunchy texture. For the base you can choose any type of cookie you have at home: classic butter cookies, filled cookies like Oreo or Baiocchi, or even wafers — just break them, mix with melted butter, press into a pan and chill.
From this base you can create many tasty variations by adding chocolate chips, toasted hazelnuts, cookie pieces to the filling, or simply decorating the cake with whipped cream, chocolate topping or nuts, creating countless irresistible desserts each time.
Today’s cake is double-layered: one white and one chocolate layer to echo the Ringo cookies in the base, but nothing prevents you from filling it with just one flavor.
A perfect treat both for an indulgent snack and as a dessert on a warm summer evening — make it and I assure you it will delight both young and old.
One warning: it’s important to respect the chilling times in the refrigerator for a perfect result.
If you’re looking for other no-bake desserts check out these recipes
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: springform pan 8 in/8 2/3 in
- Cooking methods: No-bake
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 378.12 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 19.91 (g) of which sugars 6.99 (g)
- Proteins 3.54 (g)
- Fat 32.17 (g) of which saturated 14.82 (g)of which unsaturated 3.66 (g)
- Fibers 1.10 (g)
- Sodium 267.36 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 50 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups cookies (Ringo, Oreo, dry cookies)
- 7 tbsp butter (melted)
- 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
- 9 oz mascarpone
- 4 tbsp Nutella®
- cookies
- Nutella®
Tools
- Electric hand mixer
- Springform pan
Steps
Take the cookies and crush them into fine crumbs. You can either blend them in a food processor or put them in a freezer bag and smash them with a rolling pin.
Pour the crushed cookies into a bowl and add the melted butter; mix with a spoon until you obtain a compact mixture.
Line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper, pour in the cookie mixture and press firmly with the back of a spoon. Put it in the fridge for 1 hour or 30 minutes in the freezer.
Meanwhile, whip the cold cream in a bowl with electric beaters, add the mascarpone and fold everything together with a spatula to avoid deflating the mixture. Divide the filling into two equal parts and add Nutella or hazelnut cream to one of them. Mix with a spatula.
Remove the base from the fridge or freezer, pour in first the white cream and level the layer, then add the chocolate cream and level that as well. Put it back in the fridge until it has set (about 1 hour). When serving, leave it a few minutes out of the fridge before unmolding. Decorate as you like: I used the same cookies as in the base and a few drizzles of hazelnut cream.
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NOTES
You can substitute mascarpone with ricotta or cream cheese.
To reduce calories, replace heavy cream with plant-based whipping cream, but in this case add a tablespoon of granulated sugar when whipping. The result is not exactly the same but not bad either.
Use any type of dry cookie for the base; the important thing is that they are dry cookies.
STORAGE
Being a dessert made with cream and mascarpone, it must be stored in the refrigerator and will keep for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can freeze it, in which case it lasts 15 days.
