During the festive season, I baked my favourite gingernut cookies.
I don’t bake them often though, because whilst they’re my favourites, no-one else in the house eats them if there’s anything else on offer. So a week or so after baking, there was still half a jar left…
The browned butter friands were more popular – so much so that I baked them twice. There were a few leftover from the second batch…
It was then that I discovered how brilliant leftover cookies are as crumble topping! I’ve used stale cake before, so I had an inkling it would work, but the gingernuts added a delicious crunch and flavour which went really well with the berries…
- 2 cups frozen berries (I used a mix of blueberries and sour cherries, but you could use anything you have lurking in your freezer)
- ¼ cup jam
- leftover gingernut cookies
- leftover browned butter friands
Note: this is a very flexible recipe, so please use whatever you have on hand. We’ve made it with tinned peaches and apples in the past, as well as all sorts of cakes (un-iced) and non-savoury breads. I stash leftover stale cake and brioche in the freezer just for this purpose.
The cookies add a wonderful texture and flavour. I’m not sure though that chocolate ones would work, and I found our shortbread cookies a little dry and salty for the topping. But sweet, American-style, slightly cakey cookies are perfect!
Some loose instructions:
- Preheat oven to 160C with fan. Gently heat the jam in the microwave to soften, adding a little water to thin it out if necessary. Stir into the frozen berries and mix well.
- Tip everything into an ovenproof dish. I used an Emile Henry pie dish.
- Crumble the leftover cookies and cake over the top.
- Bake for 20 – 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and crisp, and the berries are bubbling and juice is just starting to seep through the crumble.
- Allow to rest and cool a little before serving.
I’ve stashed the rest of the gingernuts in the freezer for a future crumble, along with some maple syrup cookies that no-one would eat. I made this batch with a mixture of cookies and friands, but it works equally as well with just cookies (I’ve tried).
It’s a fabulous last minute dessert and the boys love it (particularly Small Man). Best of all, it means I can bake gingernuts again in the future, even if I’m the only one who will eat them!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
What a simple, tasty idea! I’ll remember this next time I have leftover cookies or cake.
Hi lovely, hope you’re well! Perfect dessert to feed hungry hordes of children! :)
Yum Celia! I will try that with the rhubarb I have in the garden as we are about to move. Yes the house sold and I am moving to a tiny cottage over in Maleny in the mountains behind the Sunshine Coast…back home where I began my life journey. Back to a small supportive community too with everything I will need. I am looking forward to starting a new garden on my half acre. I would love to show you when I get there. love Marilyn
All the best with the big move, Marilyn! I think this would work brilliantly with rhubarb – you might need a bit more jam to sweeten it though! x
I have a similar issue here with ginger baked things – I love them, but the kids won’t eat them. So I must.
Great idea! If you’re a fan of fruit desserts like crumbles you should have a look at the cookbook called Rustic Fruit Desserts. There’s a recipe for a nectarine and boysenberry crumble in there that is just fantastic!
I love gingernut cookies! I think the gingernut cookies with the flavour of the sour cherries would be a lovely pairing. I love how nothing is wasted in your kitchen, Celia, and there’s always great food on offer xx
I will never throw a cookie away again and I’ve been known to toss. I always ask myself if I want to toss it or wear it (on my hips). Great idea and I’d love your cookies too.
Hello Maureen – lol, this is really a great issue, not even dogs here who might want the odd cookie or two.
Love a bit of recycling or upcycling. Lazy crumbles are a popular Sun evening treat and I freeze extra crumble topping to have on hand. Last night I re-purposed some small roti we had bought from the Indian grocer. They were made on premise but we decided that were only OK so I cut them into ‘corn chips’ to have with a tomato chilli last night. But that’s my little secret ; )
What a wonderful way to use leftover cookies! We do love crumbles in our house and this sounds so easy.
Excellent idea, thanks.
Celia, this is brilliant, I like those recycling ideas, as I can’t throw out, a bit older cookies.
Hi Celia. Such a great non waster that you are. I wouldn’t waste anything either but I laughed at Maureens throw it or wear it comment.-Thats what happens to me!!!. So I throw. There is only me to eat most things. I have made crumble and tart fillings out of cake but this is great way to use up cookies!
Genius! Now I have an excuse to bake things for just me, as they won’t go to waste. Everyone wins!
I love ginger nuts – I used to buy them all the time when I was ‘providore’ for our office morning teas until the crew mutinied and threatened to lock me in the stationery cupboard – where I actually would have been quite happy with lots of paper and pencils:). I honestly cannot imagine your boys not eating anything that you cooked, Celia.
lol, now I will have to have a go at making those ginger cookies for my daughters – the younger one saw the photos and ‘begged’ me to make them (but….. I can not bake).
Sorry for being back again, Celia, I can not get Molasses here in S.India, could I use honey instead? Please do let me know – thank you.
Is this for the ginger nut cookies? If so I think you could substitute treacle. I don’t think honey would work.
that is brilliant – I once tried making cookies with leftover cake crumbs but would much prefer a crumble with either cookies or cake crumbs – shame no one shares your love of gingernuts but great you can enjoy them in different ways
Delicious! Brilliant! And wise thinking as usual Celia! I usually use leftover crumbles for tart bases…
What a fabulous idea – wouldn’t have thought of it! I love gingernuts too, Big Man less so….so I often have leftovers biscuits. Hope all is well with you x
Not wasting any food is always a smart thing! Looks wonderful!
Very nice idea Celia. Just last night I made an epic FAIL batch of spritz cookies. I was thinking of just tossing them away but maybe hiding them as a topping could work.
I love using up all the leftovers in my kitchen. Mostly the cookies are not leftover, though, due to Frank’s sweet tooth. This is a great idea for some of those cookies that we were given that he didn’t like much and I just can’t eat all of- thanks!
Gingernuts nut a favourite Celia? How can that be? I don’t think we’d ever have that problem in this house, but I like the idea of using them as a crumble topping. Don’t think they’d be any friends left either ;)
I hope 2016 is a good one for you and your lovely family Celia.
While never a problem in my house, what about making those leftover cookies for. A pie, tart or cheesecake ase? Just a thought. 💜
This one will be tucked in my recipe folder. That crumble looks delicious!
Very inventive :) I’m so mean that I just make everyone finish what’s in the tin before I make anything else. They all go eventually, though I suspect some get sneaked into the dog bowl. It’s a bit like a box of chocolates. Nobody likes the strawberry creams so they always get left to the end, at which point they win the toss up between a strawberry cream or no chocolate at all.
I generally stay away from recipes that only I like, too much temptation! The idea of using them as crumble is fantastic, I’ve used cake (dried it out first and then blitzed it in the processor). The crumble looks delicious. I’m actually surprised to see strawberries and raspberries on local grocery store shelves and they are not horrifically priced! Usually, this time of year, a little quart is $6 or $7!
Celia, what a great idea! I hate waste, and this is such a delicious way to prevent it!
What a fantastic idea! I will definitely remember this one. We love fruit crumbles. Leftover cookies is another story…though when I successfully hide them it is possible. And of course I have tons of jam from all that canning last summer. I might have to try this very soon.
I have leftover chocolate cake…that’s got to be good crumble for something…
I was just taking a quick inventory of the freezer in my basement and noticed I had more sour cherries than I thought. I’ve easily enough for my traditional January cherry pie and was debating what to do with the surplus. Muffins are out. That’s what the blueberries are for. Hmmm … cherries … blueberries … See where I’m going here? I need some cookies. Thanks, Celia. :)
[…] I pushed him in the direction of what I wanted, but still involving fruit like he wanted. Celia recently had a recipe on her blog reusing cookies in a fruit crisp. I knew immediately I wanted […]