My last post was rather complicated, so I’ve toned it down quite a bit for today’s post.  The great thing, though, is that by looking at the final result you will think it’s so fancy there must be a lot of work involved.  Not so!

As such, this is a great dessert when you want to make an impression with presentation.  It must be made a day ahead of time so last-minute rushing around is not an issue.  As a reminder, you may remember that earlier this year I had a mini-rant about “chocolate wafer cookies” and how confusing that term is.  For this recipe, “chocolate wafer cookies” absolutely refers to the Nabisco brand disc cookies.

Individual Chocolate Icebox Cakes

2 c whipping cream
6 T powdered sugar
1 t vanilla extract
1 (9 oz) package Nabisco chocolate wafer cookies
grated chocolate or berries for garnish (optional)

• With whisk attachment on electric mixer, whip cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff.
• Line baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper.  Create ten mini-cakes, starting with a wafer cookie base and alternating with a whipped cream “filling” until each cake has four cookie layers.
• Spread remaining cream around sides and top of cake using the flat side of a knife (or, uh, your finger when necessary.)  Feel free to get creative and use a piping bag and decorating tip to create dots or blossoms.
• Refrigerate overnight.  Do not skip this step!  The wait gives time for the cookies to absorb the moisture of the cream, and they develop a cake consistency; otherwise they are hard and impossible to eat.
• Before serving, garnish with grated chocolate or berries, if desired.

Serves: 10
Calories: 285