mocha chocolate icebox cake . . . and a casual birthday brunch

 

It's been a whirl wind month for our family. February is always busy for us.

The month begins with celebrating our oldest son's birthday, followed by a birthday celebration almost every weekend through the end of month. Nick turned 21 this year, so I was sure to add personal (and special) touches to his birthday gathering . . .

         .     .     .     .         

mocha ice box cake

MOOSE sugar cookies (Nick's favorite animal!)

a mocktail bar with a signature grapefruit drink 

 * 21 gifts *
sparkler number candles!

delicious skillet dishes
spicy Italian strata & baked french toast
 .     .     .     .  

My favorite time of day to entertain is late morning, early afternoon. It's the perfect time for brunch, which I think is one of the best times of day to entertain! So we celebrated birthday after birthday over brunch, every Saturday . . . and I enjoyed every minute of it!

So let's talk cake!

Have you ever heard of an old-fashioned Icebox Cake?

Well, I hadn't heard of one until I saw Ina Garten make one in an episode of the Barefoot Contessa last year. Ironically, the episode aired just days after hosting Nick's 20th birthday brunch; and after watching the episode, I knew that I was going to make it for his 21st birthday!

It has all of his favorite things . . . . chocolate chip cookies and mocha flavored whipped cream, layer upon layer upon layer. YUM!

They're so easy to make, and there's NO BAKING; that is, unless you choose to bake the chocolate chip cookies that go into layering this cake.

Ina uses TATE's Bakery chocolate chip cookies, which I was lucky enough to find at our local Wholesome Market . . . so I couldn't resist buying them for the cake.

It takes just minutes to whip the ingredients . . .  heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, instant espresso powder, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and coffee flavored liqueur . . . and then the layering can begin. It's so simple . . . and delicious!

I can't wait to make a Spring and Summer version using lemons and lemon cookies!

mocha chocolate icebox cake

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

2 cups cold heavy cream

12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua (optional)

2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 (8-ounce) packages chocolate chip cookies, such as Tate's Bake Shop

Shaved semisweet chocolate, for garnish

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

Preparation

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, coffee liqueur, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Mix on low speed to combine and then slowly raise the speed, until it forms firm peaks.

To assemble the cake, arrange chocolate chip cookies flat in an 8-inch spring-form pan, covering the bottom as much as possible. (I break some cookies to fill in the spaces.) 

Spread a fifth of the mocha whipped cream evenly over the cookies. Place another layer of cookies on top, lying flat and touching, followed by another fifth of the cream. 

Continue layering cookies and cream until there are 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Run a small sharp knife around the outside of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate, cut in wedges, and serve cold.

courtesy of Barefoot Contessa

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Summer garden pasta . . . spaghetti with basil, tomatoes, and mozzarella

 

Our little potted garden is producing more tomatoes than I know what to do with.  The photo below shows one week's worth of pickings, and that's not including the big, beautiful heirlooms we're growing too.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining! We've been enjoying them straight from the garden as a snack, in omelettes, tacos, and salads . . .  and, my favorite, in simple Summer pasta dishes . . . like this one.

If you watch Barefoot Contessa then you've probably seen her make a dish similar to this one. 

In fact, it was her Summer garden pasta that inspired my version, which includes additional herbs and fresh mozzarella. 

So what makes this simple Summer pasta dish so darn good?

Besides the beautiful red, orange, and yellow tomatoes from our garden, I added lots of fresh herbs too . . . sweet basil, Greek basil, and Italian flat leaf parsley. I also love the addition of fresh mozzarella! It's light & creamy flavor and texture is a perfect compliment to the pasta and tomatoes.

Perhaps what makes this dish special too, is its preparation . . . 

I add quality olive oil and fresh grated Parmesan cheese to the hot pasta, immediately after draining it . . . which allows the cheese to cling to each strand of pasta . . . so that every single bite is flavored with this salty goodness. Yum!

Add the fresh basil and tomato mixture, crushed red pepper flakes (see photo) for a little kick, and creamy mozzarella & fresh herbs for a final touch . . . and you have a light and flavorful dish perfect for any Summer day!

Summer garden pasta

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

quality olive oil

3 pints of cherry tomatoes, halved

3 garlic cloves, minced

12 large basil leaves, julienned, plus extra for serving

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (see photos below)

salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 pound spaghetti

1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
2 cups of fresh mozzarella (add more if you love it!), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 Tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped for serving

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

Preparation

Combine the cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for at least an hour.

In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a handful of salt to the boiling water, and then add the pasta. Cook al dente, according to the directions on the package. 

Drain the pasta well and pour into a large serving bowl. 

Drizzle 1/4 cup olive oil over the hot pasta, toss; and then sprinkle 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese over the top of the pasta, toss well. 

Add the basil tomato mixture, fresh mozzarella cubes, extra fresh basil and Italian flat leaf parsley. Toss well. 

Serve with extra Parmesan cheese on each serving. Enjoy!

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Thoughts from Alice, DIY Showoff, Stephanie Lynn, It's Overflowing, Twelve O Eight, Carrie This Home, Huckleberry Love, Dwellings, Smart Party Planning,  The Dedicated House, Mod Vintage Life, Lori's Culinary Creations, Home Stories, StoneGable, An Extraordinary Day, I'm Not a Trophy Wife, Karen's Up on the Hill, Three Kids and a Fish, Between Naps on the Front Porch, Tumbleweed Contessa, A Stroll Thru Life,, Life With Garnish. Elizabeth & Co, Home Remedies, Time Warp Wife,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, Just a Girl and Her Blog, The Recipe Critic, Janine Huldie, Carolyn's Homework,  Fluster Buster   Designs by Miss Mandee,  Craftie Allie,  Wednesday morning The Blissful Bee,  The Newlywed Pilgrimage, Lamberts Lately, Live Laugh Rowe, The Charm of Home, From My Front Porch to ours, Delightsome Life., Posed Perfection, Katherine's Corner,Imparting Grace, Nancherrow, The Freshman Cook,  Jann Olson, Home  Maid Simple, Anderson + Grant,  Rooted in Thyme, Shabby Nest Sunflower Supper Club, Blooming Homestead, The Girl Creative, Reasons to Skip the Housework, View from the Fridge, 3 Little Greenwoods

chocolate & puff pastry pinwheels

Chocolate and puff pastry pinwheels remind me of a dessert that the Barefoot Contessa would serve to her friends. 

Maybe it's because I've watched her for years, and appreciate how she can transform puff pastry into delicious desserts using simple ingredients.

With a few chocolate bars that were gifted to me for my birthday, I thought I would transform puff pastry into Chocolate Pinwheels . . . 

                 . . . and I'm so glad that I did. 

Imagine with me . . . 

      creamy, smooth dark and milk chocolate pieces nestled in the curls of a light, flaky, buttery puff pastry crust. 

                                    Mmmmmm . . . .

Have you ever had a fresh baked croissant filled with chocolate?

           Well, these remind me of that heavenly French pastry.

If you follow my blog, then you know that I've become a big fan of galette's for their easy-to-prepare nature . . . and beautiful and rustic appearance, like here and here. They're also quite delicious. 

I'm finding it quite valuable to have a few desserts in my repertoire that have few ingredients and are easy-to-prepare like a galette . . . and these puff pastry pinwheels fit the bill.

I love chocolate, especially DARK chocolate . . . and my closest friends and family know that too. So when my birthday rolled around last month, I was given lots of it!

These chocolate bars were waiting for a special occasion . . . so they made their debut in this chocolate and puff pastry pinwheels dessert (smile!).

You don't have to use high-quality chocolates for this recipe, 

but it sure is luxurious when you do. 

For the milk chocolate lover, you can use all milk chocolate . . . and for the dark chocolate lover, use can use all dark chocolate. 

I chose to use a combination of dark and milk chocolate for this pinwheel. 

For entertaining guests, I feel that a mix of both chocolates is a nice balance of 

                      the deep character and vibrant notes through the dark chocolate . . .

          and the elegantl smooth texture of extra creamy milk chocolate. 

This simple, yet elegant pastry is the perfect dessert 

for when you're relaxing with your best-girl friends, or entertaining a group. 

You can dress them up with a drizzle of fresh raspberry sauce, 

or enjoy them with a cup of hot cocoa.

Whatever you choose, I promise you'll enjoy!

Ingredients

5 ounces of high-quality chocolate, finely chopped

heavy cream

puff pastry

Preparation

Thaw puff pastry according to the directions on the box.

Leave in the refrigerator until you prepare this dessert.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Unroll puff pastry

Brush with heavy cream

Finely chop the chocolate, and then spread on top of puff pastry

* Leave 1/2-inch border at the far end

Roll puff pastry, as tight as you can

Pinch the end closed

Place puff pastry roll back into the refrigerator for 20 minutes

Remove and slice into 1-inch rounds, and place on baking sheet

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes

Cool on baking rack

Makes 12-14 pinwheels

Enjoy!

Here's a pictorial . . .

~ gently open roll of puff pastry ~

~ brush top with heavy cream ~

 ~ spread finely chopped chocolate on top of puff pastry ~

Leave a 1/2-inch border at the far end, so that you can pinch the roll closed.

 ~ slowly roll puff pastry as tight as you can ~

~ Gently pinch the roll closed ~

and place roll back into refrigerator for 20 minutes 

~ Cut 1-inch rounds and place on baking sheet ~

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes at 375 degrees F

. . . and now, enjoy!

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