Chocolate Chip Cookie Tart
This Chocolate Chip Cookie Tart is an absolute family favorite. You may have seen similar recipes for “Cookie Cakes” (a concept originating back in the late 1970s) where cookie dough is baked off in a giant format and decorated with buttercream to resemble a cake then cut into wedges to serve. This is very much the same idea -it combines a giant, deep dish, classic chocolate chip cookie with salty, sweet, tangy peanut butter cream cheese frosting. It is quick and easy to put together (especially since the original recipe calls for pre-made, refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough) and it is always a crowd pleaser.
As I mentioned, the original recipe calls for a pre-made, refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough (making this a great semi-homemade recipe), but it also mentions that you can use your own favorite recipe instead. If you’ve been reading along with this series, you know my mom’s favorite recipe was her Chocolate Chipper Champs. I’m not sure if she ever actually made this recipe with a pre-made dough – I always remember her making a homemade dough, and the Chocolate Chipper Champs dough is perfect for this application. Obviously mom agreed, because I came across a later copy of this recipe that she had typed up which not only changes the ingredient list to include all the Chocolate Chipper Champs ingredients, but updates the directions to incorporate the instructions from the Chocolate Chipper Champs recipe and also includes some notes on how much of the homemade dough to use and what to do with any excess you might have.
So, why do I think the Chocolate Chipper Champs recipe is so perfect here? Well, that is a very soft dough, verging on a batter. When you spread that dough into the springform pan (and you do need to spread it, you won’t be able to press it in with your hands) and bake it, it acts very much like a blondie batter. As long as you avoid overbaking it, the end result is a chewy, gooey cookie layer that naturally falls into a shallow bowl as it cools – perfect for holding all that filling/frosting. I love seeing the note that my mom left on her updated version of the recipe to decorate it with colored jimmies (aka sprinkles) for the holidays. That is always the image I have in mind when I think of this recipe – specifically, red and green jimmies for Christmas (although I know she did make this for other holidays, it is always associated with Christmas in my memories).
One of the things I’m loving about creating this Heirloom Recipe series for you is the opportunity to relive so many of my memories and to create new memories with and for the next generation. I remember making this tart with my mom for Christmas. It was such a favorite for everyone that we would make a double batch. I remember her asking me to put the drizzle on the top because she claimed I did that more evenly than she did and then she would finish them off with the jimmies. I remember the first time I recreated this recipe in my own kitchen – I had decided to make it for my sweetie for Valentine’s day – and calling my mom for advice on adapting the recipe for a smaller, heart shaped springform pan. Now, in recreating it again, I’m giving my kids the chance to hear, and me the chance to tell, more grandma stories. I hope when they make this in the future, it will bring those stories to mind as well as awakening their own memories of enjoying this treat.
Equipment
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Press the cookie dough onto the bottom of an ungreased 9″ springform pan. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.18 oz (510 g) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
- In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter and butter until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar until well combined and very smooth.8 oz (227 g) cream cheese, 2 tbsp (32 g) creamy peanut butter, 1 tbsp (14 g) butter, 2 cups (244 g) powdered sugar
- Remove the side of the springform pan and transfer the crust to a serving plate.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over crust to within 1″ of edge. Drizzle with the melted chocolate.1/4 cup (46 g) milk chocolate chips
- Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set.
Notes
- If you are using the Chocolate Chipper Champ recipe – use 18-22 oz of the dough for the tart base (less for a thinner base, more for a thicker base), and bake the remainder as cookies.
- I like to decorate this tart for the holidays with different colored
jimmies. While the cholate drizzle is still soft, I sprinkle with the
jimmies.
- I found that the excess dough from the Chocolate Chipper Champ recipe will yield ~14-18 cookies depending on how thick/thin you made your tart and the size of your cookie scoop. I used 22 oz of the dough in my large tart and scooped the remaining dough with a #40 cookie scoop.
- I also decided that another fun option would be to make mini tarts (~2 oz dough per 4″ mini tart) with the excess dough.
- If you decide to use this option, increase the filling recipe by 1 1/2 times, fill your mini tarts with about 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 ounces of the filling each and then use the remainder to fill the large tart.
- The filling was a little too sweet for my tastes so I made the following adjustments:
- Double the amount of peanut butter
- Add 1/4 tsp fine salt
- Add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Private Notes
Nutrition
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