Five-layer ice cream cake

Man, I'm tired. I've hit that frustration point in the semester, as in I'm already weeding out homework and trying to stop myself from skipping half my classes. It's a bit early for that, but senioritis is in full swing. It's not just that though. I've got an internship, a big project to work on and a yearbook to do, PLUS that whole job search thing. No big deal. Hah! Very big deal.

I was going to bake last night. I really felt like baking, but could not come up with what I wanted to do. I had a big interview to do, then cooked dinner, and as it got later and later I realized it wasn't going to happen. I'm finding my brain is shutting off a lot earlier than usual because I'm getting up earlier every day. Ugh. So no cookies last night. Tonight perhaps? Depends, once again, on how another interview for my project goes.

But I did make the ice cream cake. It succeeded! Easily one of the things I'm most proud of. It was Drew's 23rd birthday. Got him a gift certificate for our spring break trip to Vegas (which could NOT come fast enough), 23 balloons and this cake. I tried to combine all things he likes most. Made two nine-inch rounds of yellow cake from scratch, which turned out excellent. I added in sprinkles to make them homemade funfetti. Then, bought Cold Stone's cake batter ice cream with cookie dough mixed in, Drew's favorite. I had to let it melt and then spread it in one of the cake pans lined with plastic wrap. Then you're supposed to let it freeze. I was impatient, however, and didn't let it freeze for that long. If I did it again, I'd let it go overnight. But I didn't. So as I was putting together the cake, it started melting. The layers went, from bottom, yellow funfetti cake, ice cream, Oreo crumbles (took out the cream from the middle and food processed them), hot fudge, cake. I really wanted to get the fudge and crumbles in there like the Dairy Queen ice cream cakes. But those don't have cake, and I wanted cake. Most of the other ice cream cake recipes had cake and ice cream but no cookies and fudge. So I combined them.

As I was saying, the cake started melting. I stuck it back in the freezer as fast as possible and left it there over night, where it sank a bit more and sort of looked like a floppy hamburger. But by morning it was frozen solid, and I could actually cut off all the melted part and make it look relatively circular again. Then, for frosting, I had whipped cream that I put blue food coloring in. I think real frosting on top of this would put you into a diabetic coma after one bite. Anyway, I iced the cake and the put a couple of cookie crumbles on top, and voila! I had an ice cream cake, 5 layers and all. And it was quite yummy. Not a bad birthday present.

A couple days ago I went for the much easier sweet: The perennial Hershey's kiss cookie. You know, the one with the Kiss on top of a peanut butter cookie. I'd never made them before, but they're amazing. Especially a couple minutes out of the oven. Plus, there was chocolate left over. Love it.

Mark is in town this weekend from Chicago with Allison. Should be a fun time. The next few weekends are pretty booked, between him, Erin in town, me visiting Mom, Fake Patty's with Keane and then Spring Break. Wonder when I'll get my homework done. Meh.

As a last note, a book recommendation for you all. I'm working on a project about the 1960s and '70s, and I'm reading this fascinating book about all the hippies from Lawrence and their crazy drugged-out stories. It's called "Cows Are Freaky When They Look at You." It's got excellent short stories from a time I don't really understand. And it's hysterical. I got my copy at The Raven. It's totally worth it for when you need to stop reading whatever awful textbook you have at night but aren't tired enough to sleep.