Oreos cookies, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate ganache.... Yummm! Believe or not, this is the formula for one of the easiest yet most scrumptious BRAZILIAN desserts ever: Torta Holandesa com Oreos -- which I so enthusiastically named Cookies and Cream Dutch Tart. Confused? Don't be! Despite the DUTCH word included in its name, this treat is actually very Brazilian.
You heard that right... Dutch Tart (Torta Holandesa, in Portuguese) is Brazilian. It was invented in 1991 in the city of Campinas, which is located in the interior of the state of São Paulo. The creator of this dessert was Silvia Leite, the owner of the company Holandesa & Cia. Sílvia ran a café in the city where the tart was produced for the very first time. Some say that she created this tart to honor some European friends while others say it was to pay homage to the time she spent in Europe.
Another curiosity is that the original recipe is quite hard to find. Both the internet and books are filled with different variations. That is why there is more than one way to prepare torta holandesa or Dutch tart. Maria or Maizena cookies are usually used to make the crust, either as a crumbly crust or soaked in milk and then layered. The filling also varies: the most common variants are a vanilla ice cream mixture, a condensed milk mixture with gelatin, or a cream cheese-gelatin mixture. The chocolate topping is either made with a cocoa-milk-sugar mixture thickened on the stove-top, or with chocolate ganache. Finally, the cookies that surround the tart are generally covered on one side with chocolate (Calipso is the name of the cookies often used for this tart, although Maria cookies covered on one side with chocolate can also be used).
Our Cookies and Cream Dutch tart is made with Oreo cookies (or rather with Oreo-like cookies that don't have the name on top). 🙂 These cookies are used both to make the crumbly crust and to surround the tart. The filling is prepared with beaten vanilla ice cream, heavy cream, and sugar, and a semi-sweet chocolate ganache tops the tart. So ours is pretty much a cookies 'n cream Dutch tart, you see? 😉
Easy to prepare, rich, fun, festive, a crowd-pleaser for its ingredients, and a year-round treat: our cookies and cream Dutch tart is all of those things! There is only one problem: prepare yourself and both the adults and children in your life to get hooked on it. Yes, it is that addictive! But what else would you expect from a treat that has cookies, ice cream, and chocolate as its main ingredients, hmm?
Don't dream about it! Make it and be merry... for Christmas or any other time of the year.
Cookies and Cream Dutch Tart
Ingredients
- 1 package Oreos or Oreo-like cookies 14.3 oz or 405 g, I used Great Value Twist & Shout which doesn't have the brand name printed on top of the cookies
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 cups of your favorite vanilla ice cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1-¼ cups heavy whipping cream divided
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips about 150 g
Instructions
- Prepare the crust: In a food processor, grind 22 Oreo cookies (or Oreo-like cookies) until obtaining a flour-like texture and then pour into a medium bowl. Using your hands, mix in the softened butter with the ground cookies until obtaining a homogeneous yet lumpy mixture. Place mixture into a 9-inch springform pan, distributing evenly over the bottom of the pan until forming a layer, but without pressing down hard against the bottom of the pan. Make sure there are no gaps in the bottom crust layer. Place the remaining cookies (about 14) all around the pan, keeping a minimal and equal distance between them. If necessary, press the whole cookies against the edges of the crust so they will stay upright. Set pan aside.
- Prepare the filling: In the bowl of a mixer, beat together the ice cream, sugar, and ½ cup of heavy whipping cream for about 1 minute. Pour ice cream mixture into the springform pan, cover pan with a sheet of aluminum foil and freeze for at least 12 hours.
- When that time has passed, prepare the chocolate ganache by mixing chocolate chips with the remaining ¾ cup heavy whipping cream in a medium microwaveable bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals until chocolate has melted (about 1-2 minutes depending on your microwave potency). Stir well to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Let cool a bit and then, while still soft, pour chocolate ganache on top of the frozen ice cream filling, forming a layer. You may need to spread chocolate ganache with the back of a spoon gently towards the edges.
- Cover pan and place back into the freezer. Five to ten minutes before serving, remove pan from the freezer, remove the outer ring of the springform pan gently, slice the Dutch tart (slice between the cookies) and decorate as desired (I used fresh raspberries and mint). Enjoy! INACTIVE TIME: 12 hours. YIELD: 8-12 slices.
- STORAGE: Leftovers should be stored, covered, in the freezer.
Recipe Notes
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Little Cooking Tips says
Very interesting recipe Denise. What we loved about this one, is that you only used a few ingredients and yet the taste must be exquisite! Panos is over my shoulder and keeps trying to convince me (like I need any convincing for this) to make this one too:)
Thank you for sharing the story of the "Dutch" Brazilian tart with us, as well as -of course- the delicious recipe!
Sending you lots of sunshine from Athens!
xoxoxo
Denise Browning says
Thank you! For both of you as well. My children tried for the first time and went crazy for it. They love the combo of Oreos, ice cream, and chocolate. 🙂
Anne says
I love this -it's so creative!!!
marcela says
oh my.........It looks fantastic! I love Oreos! These are actually my top cookies!! I have to give this recipe a try!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
This is definitely a crowd pleaser…I can't imagine a single person who wouldn't love the tart and your presentation is so pretty.
Fran @ G'day Souffle' says
Good Lord- I must be sure to print this recipe off and keep it- sounds like it is a hard recipe to find. Thank goodness for food aficionados like you who keep these recipes alive!
Amira says
Such a great drooling recipe this is... so lovely. A lovely creation Denise, this is a work of art.. really. Pinned and FB.
John/Kitchen Riffs says
New dish to me. Looks terrific! And pretty easy to make -- double win. Thanks for this.
Raymund says
This solidifies it, you are the master of sweets!
Amazing dessert, I just wish I was your neighbor now.
Coffee and Crumepts says
Simple and stunning! Looks amazing Denise! Hope you and your family are well and getting ready for Christmas! Love to the girls xx
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
Wow! What a stunning dessert! Simple to prepare with lots of chocolate, a winner!
Asha says
This is simply yummy and decadent, and rich. I love how simple this is also my dear.
This would be so nice for any Christmas party or party for that matter.
Love it. Pinning.
xo
Jasline (Foodie Baker) says
Wow, this is the most decadent and most easy tart I've ever seen! The combination of ice cream and oreos is definitely divine!
Chris Scheuer says
This looks totally decadent and very festive. I love that it's easy too. A win-win-win!!