Amy's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Icebox Cake

I was so excited to make this dessert for Amy's birthday that I delivered it an entire day early! I left it on her desk this morning before she arrived, only to have her come to me a few minutes later to tell me her birthday was actually tomorrow. I felt like such a dork! I tried to encourage her to celebrate her birthday-eve instead, something my sister always celebrated because her birthday was on New Year's Eve, but she wanted to wait until tomorrow and who could blame her? Several coworkers commented, wondering where dessert/breakfast had gone but I assured them that it didn't disappear and that it would be back tomorrow.
Amy requested something that involved peanut better. She loves Reese's Pieces and Skippy Peanut Butter and especially enjoys cheesecake. I considered a few recipes but nothing really clicked until I saw this Smitten Kitchen's Icebox Cake. Funny how a gorgeous photo will do that! Instead of following the exact recipe, I decided to change it up by adding a layer of super airy peanut butter cream. Admittedly my only mistake in this was not doubling the recipe; it looked a bit puny half-filling my glass trifle bowl. But considering just how rich this dessert will be, perhaps it was a good thing that everyone will have to cope with a small portion, well except for Amy of course. :-)

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Ice Box Cake
Yield: I plan to serve this in very small servings at work but under normal circumstances it would probably serve about 10-12 normal sized servings. This recipe could easily be doubled.

1 package of Nabisco Chocolate Wafer Cookies (These can get pricey so if you want to save some money, buy a package Oreos or other chocolate sandwich cookie and scrape out the centers)
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract/paste
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 8-oz package of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter not all-natural style. I used Skippy
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons of chocolate curls or crushed cookies (optional)

In a bowl, beat the cream on your mixer's highest speed until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste and mix until well combined. Transfer the whipped cream to a different bowl.

Using the same mixing bowl (you don't have to wash it), beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth and very, very light. This will take at least 2 minutes on medium speed. Slowly fold in half of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture and set aside.

To assemble the desert, start with a layer of 6 cookies in the bottom of the bowl or a plate. Spread about 1/2 - 3/4 of a cup of peanut butter cream on top of the cookies and use a rubber spatula to evenly spread it out. Top with a thin layer of whipped cream, smooth out, and top with a layer of cookies. It's okay if the cookies don't touch.

When you run out of cookies, top with a final layer of peanut butter cream and whipped cream. Top with chocolate curls, crushed cookies, or nothing.

Let it sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours. This will give the cookies adequate time to soften.

Note: If you want to save some calories and fat, you could use non or reduced fat cream cheese, a reduced fat/sugar peanut butter, reduced-fat margarine, low fat chocolate cookies, and non-fat whipped topping instead. I can't vouch for the taste but it would probably turn out okay.