CHALLENGE #48 - Peanut Butter Chocolate Icebox Cake

[moetushie]

I was pondering what to do for this challenge today when I noticed that one of my favorite podcasts had updated yesterday -- Gastropod, hosted by two adorable nerds who like to talk about the science and history of food. This week, they talked about jellies and Jello and interviewed the delightful food historian Ivan Day, whose blog that I've read through. So many interesting jelly moulds!

Now, I have a corner of my pantry with boxes and boxes of sugarfree Jello, for various reasons. I don't use them very often. The thing about Jello is that they're fun to look at -- and to touch -- but unless you have to, not as fun to eat. Which is a departure from the past, really. But yeah! I have Jello, I have unflavored gelatin (which I bought to make panna cotta, guess what I haven't made) and sugarfree cheesecake pudding. Today was so hot that I couldn't bear to turn on the stove to even briefly heat up the gelatin, so icebox cake it is.

Icebox cake is a classic recipe -- usually made with wafers or graham crackers, whipped cream, and an icebox (or fridges, if you're not in the 1920s) -- I usually follow this recipe for strawberry icebox cake, but today, I had no whipped cream, so I had improvise.

Ingredients

1 box Jello instant sugarfree cheesecake pudding mix
1 scant cup 2% milk
1/2 cup lowfat Greek yogurt
1 tbsp PB2
50g dark chocolate bars, chopped (I used Moser Roth 70% dark chocolate) - plus more for garnish.
1 packet graham crackers

Equipment

Loaf pan
plastic wrap
Whisk
Mixing bowl
Spoon


Method

1. Whisk together the first five ingredient, let set for a minute.

2. Assemble cake by layering graham crackers in loaf pan with peanut butter & chocolate pudding mixture. For me, it made about three layers.

3. Sprinkle toppings if desired, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Now, the idea behind icebox cake is that the pudding/whipped cream mixture will moisten the cookies so they become cake-like. I didn't put whipped cream in this, so I'm not sure how this will turn out. I'm going to eat it, regardless. I put the good amount of chocolate in this, after all.

Comments

[realpestilence]

I may have to try one of those. I've heard of "ice box cakes", but didn't realize they're no baking required. Look like the kind of easy desserts I could take to work functions.

[moetushie]

Yes, there's no actual cooking or baking in this at all! Just cutting, mixing and assembly.

[realpestilence]

I was actually going to make one today-a Black Forest type with 3 ingredients, I can handle that! But I had to take my car to the shop & now I'm stuck at home.

I've warned my co-workers they'll be faced with the consequences of my new interest. They've already absorbed the overflow of baked spaghetti, red beans & rice, etc etc. I can not cook small!