{recipe} Samoas Ice Cream Cake

I don’t know about you, but I’m drowning in Girl Scout Cookies right now. Having been a former scout, I can’t say no to the earnest girls who ask me to buy their cookies–so I have ended up with an embarrassing number of boxes. Imagining creative ways to use them (other than just eating them, of course) led me to make this ice cream cake – with 2 boxes of Samoas, dulce de leche and vanilla ice creams, and a little bit of chocolate ganache and coconut on top for good measure.

I’ve noticed that the cookies taste a little more artificial to me than they did in my youth. I’m not sure if this is because they changed the recipes, or because my palate has grown more sophisticated. (The same thing happened with Twinkies: I couldn’t get enough of them as a kid, but now they taste disgusting to me.) At any rate, I think the Samoas are greatly improved by freezing them. My husband, a dedicated Samoas fan, agrees that this is quite possibly the finest way to enjoy this once-yearly treat.

Now if anyone has some good ideas as to how I can use up 12 boxes of Thin Mints… I’m all ears.

Recipe: Samoas Ice Cream Cake
makes one 9-inch cake

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 boxes Samoas Girl Scout Cookies (30 cookies)
• 2 Tblsp melted butter
• One 14 to 16 oz. container of Dulce de Leche ice cream
• 1 quart vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped semi-sweet chocolate
• handful of coconut for garnish (optional)

METHOD:

• Prepare a 9-inch round springform pan with a light amount of cooking spray on the bottom and sides.
• Put 1 box of cookies into the food processor and grind very well, until completely crushed. Add melted butter and mix to combine. Press cookie mixture into bottom of prepared pan evenly and tightly.
• Soften dulce de leche ice cream in microwave a little so it’s more spreadable. Spread evenly over cookie crust. Put in freezer for about an hour to re-harden.
• Arrange remaining box of cookies, chocolate side up, in a single layer over the ice cream.
• Soften vanilla ice cream a bit and spread out over cookie layer. Cover and put in freezer to completely harden, about 2-3 hours.
• Heat cream in a saucepan to almost boiling. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Stir with a whisk until completely melted. Let cool so it’s still pourable but not too hot to melt the ice cream.
• Uncover ice cream cake and pour chocolate mixture over. Sprinkle a little coconut on top, if desired. Recover and freeze again to harden.
• To serve, run a knife carefully around the outside of the cake to loosen. Gently unclasp the springform pan and remove the outer ring. Cut with a sharp knife that’s dipped in very hot water and wiped with a towel between each slice.