Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

I like to watch the show Project Runway (she admits sheepishly). Every season they have one episode where the challenge is for the designers to create an Avant Garde look. This outfit is supposed to be exaggerated and conceptual, to push the boundaries of innovation and creativity. The Avant Garde look is meant to impress and inspire on the runway during fashion shows, but it’s not expected to be practical; it is free from the obligation of translating to everyday street wear.

In my opinion, today’s dessert falls in the category of Avant Garde baking. A friend told me about the concept a couple of weeks ago, and the idea kept lurking around the corners of my brain until I finally gave in and, after a few more clarification questions to said friend, tackled it (If I get diabetes next week, we all know who to blame). Anyway, about the Avant Garde thing: the finished product of this endeavor, this tower of cookie and frosting, sure is pretty to look at, and with nine layers and about five gallons of icing, it definitely pushes many boundaries (granted those include boundaries of rationality, wisdom, and caloric-intake...but pioneering nonetheless), yet ultimately, this creation is more of a showpiece than a practical dessert; one person could never eat one piece of this cake – even the tiniest sliver – on their own.  I had to quit after about four bites when I took my first sample piece this morning, and historically I have a freakishly high tolerance for rich, sugary things. I think I’m also a little disappointed with the flavor balance of the dessert because I really, really like a good, authentic chocolate chip cookie, so for me, the cream cheese frosting was more of a distraction than anything else.

The recipe I used was adapted from Martha Stewart. Her version made 5 thicker layers. I squeezed 9 out of the same amount of batter. I also used a different frosting recipe since a few of the comments on the cake found fault with the original. The frosting I ended up making (recipe here) worked out well. I liked how it held its consistency at room temperature, and the whipped cream tempered the intensity of the cream cheese nicely. That being said, less would still have been better, especially toward the top layers when I realized how much extra frosting I was going to have and, instead of deciding to save it for later like a logical person, I decided to start globbing it on so I could use it all. Poor choice, Taber, poor choice.

To prepare and bake he cookie layers, Martha said to use a spatula to spread the raw dough into 8-inch rounds. I found that laying down a piece of waxed paper on top of each lump of batter and using my hands to shape the discs was much more effective. My silicon baking-sheet liners also came in extremely handy to keep the finished cookies from sticking to the pan when I transferred them to wire racks to cool.

Like I intimated before, the next time I make this recipe I would be much more conservative with the application of the frosting – just adding enough to get the layers to stick together, and I would also adjust the frosting recipe to use less sugar since the cookie is sweet enough on its own.

I hope I haven’t griped too much. This was a really fun recipe to make, and I’m sure my friends and co-workers will be happy to help me chip away at Cookie Cake Mountain over the next few days before it collapses entirely under the weight of its own frosting. 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

adapted from Martha Stewart

For the Cookies:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

12 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened (I doubled Martha's suggestion, because: America)

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

3/4 cups granulated sugar

3 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks

3/4 cup heavy cream

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (mini chips work best for thinner layers)

For the Frosting:

2 8oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar (use more or less to taste; this is half what the original recipe called for)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups heavy cream

The will power to not use all of this frosting if you don't really need to. Seriously.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Put butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla, eggs, and yolks. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in a little at a time, alternative with the cream. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Divide batter into 3-4 portions. Wrap each in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Work with one portion at a time. Use a pastry cutter to divide each portion into 2-3 sections. Place each section on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicon baking mat. Put a loose sheet of wax paper over the section and use your hands to press the dough into an 8-inch disc. Peel the wax paper off when you're done and use it for the next section. These will have to be done in batches depending on how many baking sheets you have and how big your oven is. Leave waiting dough in the refrigerator so it doesn't get soft and difficult to work with in the meantime. 

Bake each disc until edges are pale golden brown, about 10 minutes. Bake time will vary depending on how many discs you bake at once and how thick you've made them, so watch the first batch carefully and adjust as needed. After the first 10 minutes, remove partially-baked cookies from oven and use an offset spatula to gently reshape the dough into a uniform circle. Return to oven and bake for 8-10 minutes more until edges are golden brown and center has set up. Gently remove from baking sheet and lay on wire rack to cool. Finished discs can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 day. 

Once the cookies are all cooled completely, make the frosting. Combine the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla by mixing on medium until all ingredients are incorporated and texture is fluffy. Transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl and wash the stand mixer's bowl. Use the whisk attachment to whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture by hand. Do not over mix.

To assemble, spread a thin (THIN, people!) layer of frosting over all but one of the discs, then stack them as evenly as possible. If the sizes aren't exactly the same, then clearly you've failed and should never lift a spatula again. No, seriously, try to put the larger cookies on the bottom for stability. Extra frosting can be used as a garnish, and I shaved about 2 oz. of 78% cacao chocolate over the top for visual appeal. 

Let the cake (is that the appropriate label for this dish? I keep calling it 'the tower' or 'the mountain' when I describe it to my friends) sit for at least an hour so the cookies can soften a little (they'll soak up some of the frosting) to prevent crumbling when you cut into it. Then slice and serve. It's extremely rich, so use small portions.

The frosting doesn't need to be refrigerated to hold its consistency, so leftovers can be kept at room temperature or refrigerated.