Cookiewich Ice Cream Cake

Yeah, I went there.  This ice cream cake is perfection.  Wondering what to do with those 5 dozen cookies you just happened to bake?  Make this cake!  I used the NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookie for this recipe, which also happens to pretty much be Lil’s 24 Hour Cookie.  The cake would work with any chocolate chip cookie – homemade or store-bought – but you know, the cookie IS going to make or break this cake… just sayin’.  (Homemade fudge and whipped cream couldn’t hurt either.)

INGREDIENTS

• Approximately 30 regular size chocolate chip cookies (I made the NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookie into regular size cookies and baked them for 12 minutes)
• 2 – 1.5 quarts Edy’s Vanilla Ice Cream, softened
• Approximately 2 cups chocolate fudge (store-bought or homemade), warmed so it’s loose
• 2 cups fresh whipped cream for decorating (can be store-bought or homemade)
• Approximately 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips for decorating

HOW TO MAKE IT

• Cut a 24-by-6-inch strip of parchment paper
• Butter the side of an 8-inch springform pan, then line the side with the parchment paper; the paper will extend a bit above the rim of the pan
• Cover the bottom of the pan with approximately 10 cookies – you’ll need to break up a couple of cookies to fill in the gaps so you get a solid base layer
• Put down a layer of ice cream on top of the cookies – use the whole 1.5 quart container and try to make the layer as smooth as possible
• Spoon on a layer of fudge over the ice cream, use approximately 1 1/2 cups – save the remainder for decorating the top
• Put down another layer of chocolate chip cookies – approximately 10
• Cover the cookies with the second container of ice cream, again, try to make it as smooth as possible
• Top the final layer of ice cream with the rest of your cookies, however you desire (you can leave them whole or crumble them up)
• Place the cake in the freezer for at least 6 hours or overnight
• Remove the side of the springform pan and the parchment and press the mini chocolate chips into the side of the cake
• Decorate the top of the cake with the fresh whipped cream using a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and then drizzle the remainder of fudge on top of the cookies and sprinkle on the remaining chocolate chips
• Serve immediately or store in the freezer for up to 2 days (if you want the whipped cream to be frozen, too, just put it back into freezer after decorating the top for 1-2 hours)