I’ve made icebox cakes a few times and every single time I do it’s seriously gone in like 2 days. We actually don’t eat all of it ourselves, we usually have people over to enjoy it with us but dang is it just so good! Since we are right around the corner from thanksgiving I decided to make this icebox cake seasonally appropriate by making the cookie portion, pumpkin and it did not disappoint. Pumpkin just goes so well with cream, honestly just as good as peaches do, and since the cookies aren’t overly sweet, it’s just a fantastic combination of flavors and something that’s different from the norm when the desserts roll out after the turkey is eaten.
This icebox cake recipe can take some time since you need to wait until the cookies are completely cool and then you need to wait again while it is freezing. It is dang near impossible waiting for something this good because it’s so delicious, but I promise it’s worth it and you can do it!! I’m just telling you all of this to give you a fair warning that it is going to take most of the day before it’s finished, about 8 hours. Now, with that being said you aren’t really doing anything for about 7 hours and 15 minutes, just waiting for things to cool and then freeze so you can plan your day around it.
I used Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose flour as I almost always do when it comes to baking just about any cookie or cake recipe. I really dig their artisan flour when it comes to making breads or pizza crusts, but the All-Purpose flour is high enough in protein and beyond perfect to make all of your cake and cookie needs. You want to cream together the butter and sugars before adding in the rest of the ingredients, but It’s super important to make sure that butter-sugar mixture is really light and fluffy before adding in everything else. This pumpkin cookie recipe is super easy and you won’t believe just how light each cookie is, honestly you could put down 10 in 1 sitting and not even realize it. So, in other words yeah they’re dangerous!
Try not too eat too many because you need to layer up this icebox cake with cookies mascarpone whipped cream. Because I love you this recipe is a little big leaving about 9 extra cookies for your to devour while waiting for them to cool down J. You’re welcome! To get the cookies cooled down quicker, remove them from the sheet tray and place them on a cooling rack. While they are cooling this is perfect timing to make the mascarpone whipped cream. This recipe is incredibly simple and honestly pretty versatile because you can add in liqueurs, flavorings or extracts to enhance or change. I saw that they do make a pumpkin spice extract but after thinking it over I’m not sure I want some chem lab produced stuff into my icebox cake. I would however be interested in how they make that stuff… Go ahead and put the mascarpone whipped cream into the refrigerator until it’s time to use it.
Once the cookies have cooled you can begin layering up this cake. You can keep it the same diameter around or you can kind of taper it off at the top, as I did – I think it looks cooler. You want to lay down the cookies next to each other in a circle and then spread on a layer of the whipped cream. At this time you can begin to add on the shaved chocolate and pumpkin spice blend or you want until it is completely layered up before adding it to the top, totally up to you.
Last but not least comes the hard part, waiting until it is frozen enough to actually eat it. Yes, you can eat it as is and it’s still really good but dude it is so much better once it’s frozen that it’s not even close. It’s like eating the most insane ice cream cake of all time, seriously no joke. Just think of how good it will be once it’s ready! Happy thanksgiving you all, hope you dig this one!
Pumpkin Cookie Icebox Cake Recipe with Mascarpone Whipped Cream
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 2 cups of softened unsalted butter
- ½ cup of sugar
- 1 ½ cups of brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 2 15- ounce cans of pumpkin puree
- 4 cups of Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking soda
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon of nutmeg
For the Whipped Cream
- 1 quart of heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ cups of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla
- 8 ounces of mascarpone cheese
- chocolate shavings for garnish
- pumpkin spice for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Add the butter and sugars to a standing mixer with the paddle attachment and cream together on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- next, add in the eggs and vanilla and mix on low speed until mixed in.
- In a separate large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Add in ½ of the dry mixture into the standing mixer on low speed until mixed in. Next add in the pumpkin puree and then add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Scoop out 36 scoops from the cookie batter onto 3 cookie sheet trays lines with parchment paper and bake at 350° 12 to 15 minutes or until firm. Let cool completely.
- While the cookies are cooling add the whipped cream, sugar and vanilla to a standing mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on high speed until stiff peaks are formed. Fold in the mascarpone and whisk until thick.
- To plate: Place 6 cookies next to each other forming a circle on a round plate and then spread some whipped cream over top. Repeat the process 5 more times. Add on some chocolate shavings and pumpkin spice and freeze until frozen.
Mary says
How do you serve this? Cut it with a knife? Scoop it?
Also, have you made this with other types of cookies?
Chef Billy Parisi says
just like a cake, cut it with a knife. Yes, I’ve done it with peanut butter cookies.