Giada De Laurentiis’ Cookie Crumb Cake Makes the Most of Thanksgiving Dessert Leftovers
If it turns out you have any leftover desserts from the Thanksgiving holiday, celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis has a great idea to try: why not make a cake out of your extra sweets? Here’s the Food Network star’s recipe for making a brand new dessert from your dessert leftovers.
Giada De Laurentiis celebrated reuniting with family this Thanksgiving
This year, De Laurentiis went all out for Thanksgiving, especially after 2020’s leaner Thanksgiving, which occurred during the coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic. That year, the Eat Better, Feel Better author simply dropped off “treats to the family” she wasn’t able to see “in person,” and instead did “a bigger virtual Thanksgiving with my entire family and then a smaller, more intimate Thanksgiving with my immediate family: Jade, my mother, sister, and brother.”
She expressed on her food blog Giadzy her gratitude for being able to gather again with her family this year.
“There is nothing like Thanksgiving in bringing family together, and I’m so grateful to be together again this year,” she shared. “Last year, Thanksgiving was all about counting our blessings and making the most out of a less-than-ideal time in the world. Since we’ll all be together again this year for Thanksgiving, I needed a grand menu to commemorate this extra special Thanksgiving.”
With a Prosciutto-Wrapped Turkey, Vegetable Parmesan, Chestnut Stuffing with Pancetta, Cranberry Sauce, cornbread, Cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes with Peas, Chocolate Almond Cheesecake, and Pumpkin Ricotta Cookies, De Laurentiis and her family enjoyed quite the Thanksgiving feast in 2021.
Her Chocolate Crumb Cake stretches out Thanksgiving’s deliciousness
De Laurentiis said of this creative, frugal dessert made from other desserts: “This cake couldn’t be easier to make – It calls for leftover cookies and breadcrumbs as opposed to flour! Italians are known for never being wasteful and for always repurposing leftovers, so this is really in line with tradition.”
The Everyday Italian star notes this dessert is “reminiscent of a tea cake” and is “just sweet enough and not overwhelmingly heavy.” There’s no need to add sweetener “as all of the sugar comes from the cookies you use – so if you use a sweet amaretti cookie, it’ll turn out a bit sweeter than it would with almond biscotti.”
How to put together De Laurentiis’ Chocolate Crumb Cake
The chef’s dessert (full ingredient quantities can be found on Giadzy) really is simple to assemble: in a bowl, combine plain breadcrumbs with cookie crumbs from amaretti or biscotti along with cocoa powder and milk. Allow the mixture to sit and absorb the milk for about five minutes. Mix in eggs, salt, and baking powder, followed by chocolate chips. That’s it! Pour the mixture into a greased nine-inch springform pan that is lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 30 minutes. Once it’s cooled, the cake can be sprinkled with powdered sugar.
For an extra-special treat, De Laurentiis suggests enjoying the cake with “a shot of after-dinner espresso.”
