Ill-Fated Creations

BAKED GOODS

CRUSHED UNFROSTED COOKIES

The following recipes make great use of flavorful cookies that
suffered accidental damage.

Level 1
Tiramisu Pie Crust
from Massimo Solotino of Francesca’s, Chicago

Massimo uses broken cookies as the base for a Tiramisu or pie crust. Massimo favors crème fillings made with any crushed (un-frosted) cookie and not the typical graham cracker crust. He likes to frappé the cookies in a food processor, mixer or blender until it’s the texture of mousse, creating a type of espresso parfait. He adds a teaspoon of unsalted, melted butter while chopping up the cookie for some added richness. Instead of a pie pan, he uses an elegant coffee cup as the parfait form, placing it in the freezer for half an hour, or until firm.

BROKEN COOKIES AND/OR PEANUT BRITTLE

Level 1
Ice Cream Mix-Ins
from Dominique Tougne of Bistro 110, Chicago

Dominique enjoys adding broken “mix ins” (for instance, cookies and/or peanut brittle) to his ice cream or sorbets - making sure there always is about twice as much ice cream than expendable edible in his ice cream maker. Sometimes he adds a bit of grated fresh orange zest to the mix.

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BROKEN PIROUETTES, PIROULINES, PEANUT BUTTER, CHOCOLATE CHIP, OR SANDWICH COOKIES

Level 1
Cookie Crumble Parfait
Serves 4-6

Freezing Time: 30 minutes or until firm
2 cups finely crushed broken cookies (pirouettes, piroulines, peanut butter, chocolate chip, or sandwich cookies)
½ tsp. lemon zest
Raspberry sauce, chocolate or maple syrup

Optional garnish: mint leaf
Glassware suggestions: small glasses, ice cream bowls, footed dessert cups, or brandy glasses

Place cookies in re-sealable bag, squeeze air out, and using rolling pin or jar, roll over bag until cookies are reduced to fine crumbs. Take ice cream out of freezer, to soften at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes.
Place 2 tablespoons of cookie crumbs in the bottom of each serving dish. Press down crumbs until firmly packed. Add ½ scoop of ice cream on top of crumbs, smoothing out with back of spoon and sprinkle on pieces of lemon zest; repeat with a second layer of cookie crumbs and lemon zest followed by a second layer of ice cream.

Place serving dishes in freezer to firm up ice cream mixture, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Five minutes before serving, remove from freezer and with a damp paper towel wipe glass rim clean of stray ice cream or crumbs.

Pour sauce over crumbs to ½” depth. Garnish, and enjoy.

Raspberry Sauce:

Soften frozen raspberries* at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes until they slip out of container easily.
Place contents in shallow, uncoated saucepan. Bring to a boil then lower heat to a simmer. Continue cooking until volume has been reduced by approximately one third. Pour mixture through a sieve, cheesecloth, or strainer, separating juice from seeds. Press remaining pulp with the back of a spoon to extract any additional juice.

Raspberry sauce from past peak raspberries: Raspberry Sauce from Todd Stein

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Cooking Tip: If only unsweetened frozen raspberries are available, add 1/3 cup sugar plus 1 cup water. Stir raspberry mixture over high heat stirring until sugar is completely dissolved.
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CHIPS

OPEN BAG OF TORTILLA CHIPS

Level 1
Mexican Tortilla Scramble
from John Chiakulus of Lettuce Entertain You

If you find an open bag of tortilla chips - not quite chewy, but also not all that crisp - John suggests crushing them lightly and sautéing with chopped onion. Once the onion is caramelized, he adds the chips to scrambled eggs and salsa (to taste), and tops it with shredded cheese (such as cheddar, Chihuahua, or mild Monterey Jack) and bakes it in a buttered casserole dish at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes – or just long enough to melt and collapse the cheese. In Mexico, this dish is known as chilaquiles or “poor man’s dish." "Cheese heals all wounds,” says John. “Put cheese on top of anything and it looks brand new.”

CRUSHED POTATO CHIPS

Level 1
Potato Chip Crust for Fish
from John Chiakulus of Lettuce Entertain You

Used as breading for fish, crushed potato chips blended with breadcrumbs make a crunchy and mildly salty tasting crust.

Preheat oven to 375-400 degrees F. Pour already crushed potato chips in a sealed plastic bag pressed out of air. Roll over the bag with a rolling pin to crush the chips evenly, Mix finely crushed chips with an equal quantity of breadcrumbs and seasoning to taste (for instance, Cajun or lemon pepper). Dip both sides of the fish first into flour, then into beaten eggs (about 2) and finally, into the breadcrumb/potato chip mixture. In a non-stick skillet, pan-fry the fish in oil over medium flame. If the fish is on the thick side, sauté until golden brown. Then finish it in the oven. Check after 10 minutes for desired doneness.

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