Tomorrow, August 2nd, is Dennis’ birthday.  He wanted another peanut butter flavored cake, but in ice box form for his dessert tomorrow night.  He loved the mocha ice box cake that I made so much, that I decided to tweak that recipe and make him one flavored with peanut butter and peanut butter cups.  My Mother-in-law gave me a small cookbook years ago called The Peanut Butter Cookbook.  The author is William I. Kaufman and was published in 1977.  Dennis loved peanut butter so much, that she bought this cookbook for ideas for Dennis.

She told me about one birthday where Dennis insisted on a peanut butter strawberry cake.  I guess that could taste a bit like a pb&j sandwich?  Joanne said I should have this cookbook so I can make Dennis all the peanut butter goodies his heart desires.  Well, let me tell you.  I was never a baker, but love to cook.  In the last month or so, I have made several desserts from scratch.  We will be married 29 years in September and this is the first time I have made Dennis a homemade birthday cake.  I did make him a cake this weekend because we were celebrating his birthday with our nieces, their mom and her new husband and his son.  That was also a peanut butter cake, Dennis’ request.  I hope Dennis enjoys his peanut butter mocha ice box cake tomorrow night – something tells me he will!  I wish my mother-in-law were still alive, I’d call her right now to tell her I made Dennis a peanut butter cake … and made the recipe up in my head.  The picture on the right shows the second layer with the cookies and peanut butter cups.  You can see the whipped cream below and under that is the first layer of cookies.

Ingredients

• 3 8-ounce packages of extra crisp chocolate chip cookies

• 8 ounces mini milk chocolate peanut butter cups, cut in half

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1/4 cup Italian Sweet Cream coffee creamer (I used sugar free)

• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese

• 4 ounces creamy peanut butter

• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon espresso powder

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

In the bowl of your electric mixer (you can also use a hand mixer if you don’t have an electric mixer), add the heavy cream, Italian sweet cream creamer, sugar, mascarpone, peanut butter, unsweetened cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla extract.  Beat on medium speed for a couple minutes, raise the speed to high and continue to mix until stiff peaks form.

In a spring form pan, place one layer of chocolate chip cookies.  This will be about five of the cookies, plus a few broken pieces of another cookie to fill in.  You want to make sure the bottom layer is as covered as possible.  Spread your first layer of whipped cream over the bottom layer of cookies.  Next, place another layer of cookies, filling in with the peanut butter cup pieces, about 10 half pieces per layer.  Now, add another layer of whipped cream and continue with another layer of cookies and peanut butter cups.  Keep going until you are out of cream.  This should be five layers. You will finish with a layer of whipped cream.  I took two cookies and crumbled them over the top of the cake for decoration.  Place in the refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight. Enjoy!

Until next time, Kris