ICE CREAM CAKE

I love ice cream and even though its not yet summer, I say its never too late or too early to have ice cream and what better to have with ice cream than Oreo ice cream cake. Did someone say yummers. One thing  would warn though, it is quite easy to gobble everything up on one sitting so be careful of how much you eat and enjoy. 

Ingredients

• Oreo cookies
• 1/4 cup Cream cheese
• 100g Dark chocolate
• 50g White chocolate
• 3/4 cup Double cream
• Vanilla ice cream (leave out of fridge to soften to room temprature making it easier to spread)

How to make:

-I used two packets of 125g oreo cookies, which have about 14 cookies so in total about 28 cookies. 

-Remove cookies from all packaging and place into a ziplock bag (reserve about five cookies).

-Using a rolling pin crush cookies into crumbs (if you have a food processor, place in the food processor and pulse for a few minutes until it becomes fine crumbs).

-Place one cup of cookie crumbs into a bowl add cream cheese and mix properly till fully combined.

-Taking about a tablespoon at a time of mixture roll into balls (I had 12 balls in total, you can make them as big or as small as you want).

-Line a loaf pan with cling film or baking paper (this helps to remove cake after its frozen).

-Randomly place cookie balls into bottom of loaf pan.

-Pour just enough ice cream to completely cover cookie balls, place into freezer for 30 minutes.

-Remove loaf pan from freezer evenly spread half of the cookie crumbs and pour more ice cream just enough to reach the top of the loaf, sprinkle remaining cookie crumbs. Cover with cling film and place in freezer for at least four hours or preferably over night.

-About 30 minutes before removing the ice cream cake from the freezer make the ganache. Chop the dark chocolate and the white chocolate into small bits, the smaller it is the easier it will be to melt, place into separate bowls.

-Place double cream into a small pot and heat up over a low heat ( because I was making two different ganache I heated up cream separately) 2/4 cup goes into dark chocolate and remaining 1/4 cup goes into white chocolate.

-Let this to stand for a couple of minutes, the heat from the cream melts the chocolate, mix properly until mixtures comes together completely. Leave to cool down slightly but still be pourable.

-To unmold, remove ice cream cake from freezer leave to stand for a couple of minutes, make a cardboard base (I just cut a piece of cardboard to the exact shape of the cake and covered in foil) and place on the top and flip over remove loaf pan and cling film.

- Put some cups into a wide dish (this helps to catch excess glaze and not leave too much of a mess). Pour cooled dark chocolate ganache in the middle of the cake. Using the back of a spoon spread ganache to the edges to create a kind of drizzled effect. Fill a ziplock bag with white chocolate ganache, snip the tip off with scissors and drizzle over the top making quick movements back and forth (i know it does get really messy, this is not the prettiest looking dessert but its defiantly delicious). 

-Using remaining Oreo cookies decorate the top of the cake (I am not much of a decorator but I tried my best) Place in the freezer for an extra hour to allow ganache to set up.

-Transfer the whole dessert into a serving platter, I had little white chocolate ganache left over which I drizzled over Oreo cookies and also on each slice of cake. Heat up a knife by placing inside a cup of hot water for a few minutes, clean with a paper towel and slice in order to get nice neat slices.

 I love white chocolate!!!

NO-BAKE OREO CHEESECAKE CUPCAKE

I have never been a big fan of baking, but I love cheesecake which is what brought about this idea. This recipe is great tasting and with no hassle of oven temperatures and baking times. I have made this recipe as individual cupcakes but it could easily be tweaked to make a large 9 inch cheesecake. So here it is, hope you try and enjoy as much as I do.

Ingredients

Filling

• 380g Cream cheese 
• 1/2 packet Oreo cookies 
• 1/2 cup Castor sugar
• 200g Melted White chocolate
• 1 tbsp Vanilla essence
• 3tbsp Gelatine powder
• 1/4cup Boiling water
• 1cup cream

Base

• 1 1/2 packet Oreo cookies
• 80g Melted butter

How to prepare

-Place 1 1/2 packet of Oreo cookies in a food processor and blend until its fine crumbs or if no food processor is available, place cookies in a ziplock and finely crush. Mix with melted butter.

-Divide cookie mixture among 12 lined cupcake tray adding 1 heaped tablespoon to each and press into an even layer. Place in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.

-In a small bowl pour gelatin and add boiling water and leave without stirring.

-Add cream cheese and castor sugar to a bowl, whip until  sugar is completely incorporated and mixture is smooth. Add cream, melted white chocolate and vanilla essence and mix together.

-Stir gelatin mixture to dissolve and add to cream cheese. Mix just till combined but be careful not to over mix.

- Break apart the Oreo cookies into little chunks, add to cream cheese mixture and fold in to mixture gently.

-Bring the cupcake tray out of the refrigerator  and divide cream cheese mixture into the individual cupcakes (in the end I decided to remove the  cupcake liners and just make the cheesecake without them but you can leave them if you want).

-Place cupcake tray in the freezer for 5 hours or preferably over night to chill and solidify.

-To serve, remove out of freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 5 mins, so it can easily be removed from the cupcake tray. If using liners cheesecake should easily pop out of cupcake tray but if not using liners run a knife along the sides of the cheesecake to loosen and carefully remove and serve.

                       

This is such an extremely rich and indulgent recipe and great dessert for a dinner party. It can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator.