Ina's Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake

My first post! 

I have done this amazingly delicious and super easy icebox cake twice now. I think its safe to say, its a crowd pleaser.  The only catch is that as easy as it is, you have to plan at least 1 day ahead of time so the cake can take its time in the fridge over night. I made it for a 4th of July get together on a friend's boat and then again for a weekend out on the North Fork of Long Island with friends.   

So this is Ina Garten's Long Island version of an old fashioned icebox cake! She uses the famous Southampton Tate's Bake Shop chocolate chip cookies.  I was so excited to make this because I had just discovered these crispy delightful cookies at the gourmet grocery store down the street. If you live in the New York/New Jersey area, these cookies are pretty easy to find. If not, you can get them online, or she recommends any thin crisp cookie. 

You will need:

8 inch springform pan

electric mixer

2 cups cold heavy cream 

12 ounces Italian Mascarpone cream 

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup Kahlua liqueur 

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder  (the first time, I used instant coffee and it was fine)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

3 8 ounce packages Tate's Bake Shop chocolate chip cookies

Shaved semisweet chocolate for garnish (I used the cocoa powder, raspberries and mint) 

Get your electric mixer set up with the whisk attachment. Combine heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, Kahlua, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Start slowly, mixing on low. Then work up the speed slowly to higher speeds until the mixture forms "firm peaks." 

The firm peaks took a little longer than I thought they would. Perhaps I was anxious and thinking back to failed homemade whipped cream attempts when I wasn't paying attention. Anyway, so it takes a few minutes and you want this mixture to be very thick and firm. It is in fact going to hold your cake together. 

So you have your yummy cream mixture. Good!

Now, get your pan and the cookies. Start with a layer of cookies flat on the bottom of the pan. Break the cookies apart so that you can fill in crevices. (However, hold back the urge to crumble the cookies to fill in the crevices because then when you go to spread the cream, the crumbs get unruly.)

So you add a layer of cream. Not too thick, but cover the cookies well. 

Then another layer of cookies. 

Cream. 

Cookies. 

Ina said 5 layers of each. 

So once you're all layered, smooth out the top nicely, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate over night! 

The next day, take it out, run a knife around the edge of the pan, then remove the sides of the pan. Add your garnish. Cut into wedges and make sure its cold when you serve it! 

Everyone will love it and most won't be sure what it is you did to make this fancy treat. I think it is special because of the way the caramelization of the brown sugar in the cookie softens and melts with the mocha chocolate cream!  

Make sure you get your slice, it will disappear quickly. 

I think I may attempt a similar recipe to play around with some different flavor combinations and cookie types in the future...