The holidays are here, and it’s time to start thinking about desserts. Let’s be honest, we think about dessert all year, but during the holidays, it’s okay and even somewhat expected to focus on dessert. Most of us indulge in at least a little bit of holiday baking, whipping up a batch of mom’s secret sugar cookies or Nana’s famous gingerbread. But sometimes you need a quick and easy dessert that doesn’t require mixing, kneading, or baking. It’s in these moments where a cookies and cream ice cream cake is exactly what you need.
Admittedly, there’s nothing particularly “holiday” about a cookies and cream ice cream cake. In fact, one of the wonderful things about this kind of ice cream cake is that it is a perfect treat any time of year. Creamy vanilla ice cream blended with Oreo cookie pieces sitting on a cookie crust and topped with whipped icing is delicious for winter, spring, summer, and fall. It’s delicious on birthdays, graduations, BBQs, and anniversaries. And this tasty dessert is delicious during the holidays.
That said, many holiday gatherings call for something special. Luckily, it’s easy to dress up a cookies and cream ice cream cake for the holidays. Here are five easy ideas for making an Oreo ice cream cake festive enough for any Christmas party:
- Top it with “frosted” berries. Frosted berries are easy to make. Wash and dry fruit; the fruit must be completely dry for this to work. Gently beat an egg white with a small amount of water. Brush each piece of fruit with egg white and then sprinkle with super fine sugar. Set on a tray to dry. The result is sparkly, frosty fruit. Blueberries, raspberries, cherries, and cranberries work especially well.
- Add red and green candies. Sprinkle on a generous helping of red and green candies for a quick dose of holiday cheer.
- Ganache and crushed candy canes. Chocolate, peppermint, and ice cream go together like Santa Claus and reindeer. Make a simple chocolate ganache by melting chocolate with heavy cream. Drizzle the ganache over the cake, allowing it to drip artfully down the sides. Crush several candy canes and sprinkle them over the top. Yum.
- Pipe on decorations. You can easily add any of your favorite decorations by piping on whipped topping. You do have to work fast, so the ice cream doesn’t melt, so keep your designs simple.
- Fondant. If you’re a whiz with fondant, you can decorate your ice cream in endless ways. Again, just plan to work quickly and possibly take breaks to return the cake to the freezer periodically.
Happy holidays! Enjoy.