Icebox treat

Well, the first round of photo shoots for the book went swimmingly! Mark did an amazing job as the photog, food stylist Andrea Steinberg was fantastic, and prop gurus Liz and Jayna set us up so well and so completely that even I, a huge spaz, was able to prop all the shots without adult supervision. Yay!

Before and during the shoots, and at night in between, I've been baking baking baking... but since I can't share the photos or the recipes yet :( , I thought instead I'd share a lovely icebox cake from All You, the fantastic magazine where I work. It's a delicious, decadent treat, and no oven needed! Perfect for a party, or just for fun.

Enjoy!

I'll be back to normal next week - I'm making the desserts for my lovely friend Marcy's 40th birthday bash, so I'll be sure to share all the yummy details with you.

Mocha Icebox Cake
Prep: 30 min.
Chill: 6 hr.
Serves: 8

Cake:
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 Tbsp. instant espresso powder
3 1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
26 Nabisco Famous chocolate wafer cookies

Sauce:
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. Kahlua or other coffee liqueur, optional

1. Make cake: Line a 9-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap; tuck it into corners and leave a 1-inch overhang. Mix 1/2 cup cream, marshmallows and espresso powder in a saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until marshmallows melt and espresso dissolves. Remove from heat; whisk in chocolate until melted. Scrape into a bowl; let cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Pour remaining 1 1/2 cups cream into a bowl; whip with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold a cup of whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Gently fold chocolate mixture into remaining whipped cream, taking care not to deflate cream. Arrange 3 cookies in a single layer on bottom of pan. Scrape 1 cup of mousse over cookies and smooth with an offset spatula. Stand one cookie up on each short end of pan.

3. Arrange 3 cookies on top of mousse. Spread quarter of remaining mousse evenly over cookies. Repeat with remaining ingredients, forming 5 layers of mousse and ending with cookies. Cover pan with plastic; freeze for at least 6 hours.

4. Make sauce: Melt chocolate and 8 Tbsp. water in a bowl set over pan of simmering water. Stir in liqueur, if desired. Serve cake with sauce.