Lotus Biscoff cookie butter crumb bars

I first read about Lotus Biscoff cookie butter back in 2010 when cookbook author David Lebovitz raved about it on his blog. Biscoff cookies are Belgian spice cookies, similar to gingersnaps. They have more than a hint of cinnamon and ginger and deep caramel bass notes. Biscoff cookie butter is a smooth spread made of blended Biscoff cookies. Imagine being able to lick a not too sweet caramelized gingersnap right off of a spoon. Move over Nutella. I carefully bided my time waiting to see when this marvel would make its appearance in the kosher aisle of my supermarket.

Lotus Biscoff cookie butter crumb bars

Not too long afterwards on a trip to Israel, my surprise was only equal to my delight when I encountered jars of Lotus Biscoff cookie spread with kosher supervision in the local makolet. I hastily rearranged my suitcase (clothes can be replaced) and filled it with jars of Lotus cookie butter. Finding the right recipe to showcase a spreadable, spoonable, lickable cookie took some time. Inspired by Naomi Nachman’s recipe for Lotus cookie butter bars on Kosher.com and a recipe for chocolate chip crumb cookie cake by Eleanor Klivans in her book, Bake and Freeze Desserts, these crunchy cookie bars topped with a heap of crispy streusel and filled with a generous layer of spicy, rich cookie butter meet that challenge. And no need to book a ticket on El Al. Lotus Biscoff cookie butter is now available in kosher aisles everywhere.

Assemble your ingredients. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9X13″ pan with baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Place 10 Biscoff cookies in a sandwich bag. Seal the bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Set the cookies aside. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set the dry ingredients aside. In the large bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the margarine or butter, and sugar on low speed until creamed, for about 1 minute. Mix in the egg and vanilla, scraping the bowl as necessary.

Add the flour mixture and beat just until the mixture forms large crumbs and all the flour is mixed in. Divide the crumb mixture in half. Into one half, add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. This is going to be your crumb topping mixture. Place it in the refrigerator to chill while you carry on with the recipe. 

Press the other half of the crumbs into the bottom of the lined 9X13″ pan, gently and firmly.  

Remove the top of the jar of cookie butter and remove the foil seal on the jar. Place the jar in the microwave and microwave the cookie butter for 10-15 seconds. Using a spatula, spread the warmed cookie butter evenly over the crumb base in the baking pan. Spread the crushed cookies over the layer of cookie butter. Top with the refrigerated crumb mixture. 

Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35 minutes until the crumb topping is light golden brown in spots. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting. To preserve the crispy crumb topping, cover the pan with a sheet of parchment paper. The bars stay crisp for 3 or 4 days, (if you can keep them around that long), lightly covered and stored on the counter. They also freeze very well.

Print Recipe

Lotus Biscoff cookie butter crumb bars

Cookies, Cakes, Pies and Desserts

By Adapted from Naomi Nachman and Elinor Klivans – Serves: 16

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 35 – Total Time: 50 minutes

Crunchy cookie bars topped with a heap of crispy streusel and filled with a generous layer of spicy, rich cookie butter

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 7 ounces (1 3/4 sticks) cold butter or margarine, cut into 10 pieces
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 14.1 ounce (400 g) jar Lotus Biscoff butter
• 10 Biscoff cookies, crushed

Instructions

1

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9X13″ pan with baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Place 10 Biscoff cookies in a sandwich bag. Seal the bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Set the cookies aside. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set the dry ingredients aside.

2

In the large bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the margarine or butter, and sugar, on low speed until creamed, for about 1 minute. Mix in the egg and vanilla, scraping the bowl as necessary.

3

Add the flour mixture and beat just until the mixture forms large crumbs and all the flour is mixed in. Divide the crumb mixture in half. Into one half, add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. This is going to be your crumb topping mixture. Place it in the refrigerator to chill while you carry on with the recipe. Place the other half of the crumbs into the bottom of the lined 9X13" pan, pressing gently and firmly.

4

Remove the top of the jar of cookie butter and remove the foil seal on the jar. Place the jar in the microwave and microwave the cookie butter for 10-15 seconds. Using a spatula, spread the warmed cookie butter evenly over the crumb base in the baking pan. Spread the crushed cookies over the layer of cookie butter. Top with the refrigerated crumb mixture. 

5

Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 35 minutes until the crumb topping is light golden brown in spots. Allow the bars to cook completely before cutting. To preserve the crispy crumb topping, cover the pan with a sheet of parchment paper, not foil or plastic wrap. The bars stay crisp for 3 or 4 days, (if you can keep them around that long), lightly covered and stored at room temperature. They also freeze very well.

Notes

Dust the bars with powdered sugar before serving, if desired. More crunch? Sprinkle half of the crushed cookies over the cookie butter spread. Top with crumbs and sprinkle with the remaining half of the crushed cookies before baking.