Warm and chewy chocolate chip cookies are a score when they’re fresh out of the oven. That second- or third-day taste just doesn’t hit the same way. Cookies harden quickly as the starch retrogrades and moisture evaporates, leaving them hard and crunchy. This, along with the preservative ingredients, is what makes some of even the best store-bought cookies too tough on the teeth. However, this crunchiness is perfect for putting together a chilly dessert for the summer.
All you need are cookies and a cool whipped dairy topping to create a two-ingredient icebox cake — no baking required. Pull out a standard baking pan for multiple portions, or use Mason jars to recreate the charm of Japanese can cakes. Simply layer the cookies in rows with filling in between them — like you’d layer a creamy homemade tiramisu — and refrigerate overnight (or around six hours) at a temperature right above freezing. When the cake is done, the cookies should have had enough time to soften from the moisture in the whipped dairy topping. The top layer should be cream, and you can make a cookie dust garnish by putting some of the cookies in a bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. You don’t need anything more than a spoon to dig through every layer of this cold cookie-and-cream icebox dessert.
The right cream topping for an icebox cookie cake
Cool Whip is the easiest whipped topping to use since you can scoop it right out of the container, but there are other options that can change the texture and flavor to your preference. Classic whipped cream can work for an icebox cake, but it takes a lot to make the layers stable enough to support each row of cookies. Chocolate chip cookies are denser than something like, say, angel food cake, so it’d be better to fortify whipped cream with another topping.
Whenever you whisk heavy whipping cream, it fluffs up and traps air bubbles, which is the key to a good whipped topping. Try substituting the water for heavy cream in an instant vanilla pudding mix to create a frosting-like texture. Alternatively, combining heavy cream with mascarpone cheese yields a thick cream that’s easy to spread and fold over the cookies. This cheese has a higher fat content than cream cheese so it’s better suited for several desserts, such as tiramisu.
Adjust the flavor of these whipped toppings with any ingredients that make sense. It’s hard to go wrong with vanilla extract because it only takes a few drops to have a huge flavor impact without compromising the texture. Espresso and dark chocolate behave in a similar way, giving desserts a bitter kick. Rum and bourbon can be incorporated into any of these whipped toppings for a boozy twist, but the base may need to be thickened with confectioner’s sugar or cocoa powder to stabilize your tasty icebox cookie cake.
