Although it’s already mid-October, I’ve declared this fall to be the Summer of George! Although the results were mixed for the oft-chunky George Costanza, my roommate Dan and I are all about gettin’ into being healthy and lovin’ love. The first step on our road to healthy living begins where any bildungsroman should, in the dessert aisle.
Often overlooked and unnecessarily vilified, dessert packs a number of secret health benefits: chocolate is rich in free-radical-killing antioxidants—a phrase no-one actually understands, but it alludes to killing, freedom, and oxidation, which are all downright sexy. Desserts also often include some form of dairy product, which has straight-up protein and calcium for strong bones.
But getting healthy shouldn’t be a monotonous chore. Chocolate cake mix can be boring, and even inhaling whipped cream can lose its luster, not to mention that it’s depressing when done alone. Fortunately, there are some simple tweaks and improvements to these stalwarts that can liven up old recipes with minimal extra effort.
Although I’d never publicly recommend liberating baked good from Leo’s, especially in large quantities, trekking out to the market isn’t always viable and making a chocolate chip Icebox cake is too delectable an option to pass up. The Icebox cake is traditionally made with thin chocolate Nabisco wafers, and is essentially a cake made of alternating layers of whipped cream and wafers.
On a plate, arrange your cookies side-by-side to form a circle, with one cookie in the middle. Spread half a cup of whipped cream over the cookies, making the first complete layer. Repeat the process, adding as many layers as you wish. If you’re using Nabisco wafers you’ll want two packages worth and to make about eleven layers of eight wafers apiece. Since chocolate chip cookies are bigger, try for four or five layers with a smaller base, depending on how many people you’ll be serving. When you’re done layering, wrap it in plastic and put it in the fridge overnight. The whipped cream will soften the cookies, enhancing them with calcium and vitamins and creating a nicely sliceable cake that will make a delightful treat at any pre-game or social gathering.
Although an Icebox cake doesn’t require much effort , there’s something to be said for a dessert that you can make today and eat for a week—frozen chocolate peanut butter candy. To fashion this doozy, melt the desired quantity of peanut butter in a double boiler, making sure not to burn it. When it’s fully melted, add an equal quantity of good quality dark chocolate, (Scharffen Berger or Lindt 70% cacao or higher will work.) Swirl the melted peanut butter with the chocolate in a pan and put it in the freezer to harden. (https://aaronkirman.com) Whenever it strikes your fancy, break off a bit and enjoy.
Some people don’t eat dessert often enough in a week, which can be a problem if it becomes a habit. More dangerously, however, some people don’t eat dessert often enough in a single day, but hopefully these recipes can help fight this problem. This fall, pack a lunch of pudding skin singles, play frolf, buy a recliner with a fridge in it, and, as Erma Bombeck said, “Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart.” It’s the Summer of George.
Believe it or not, Michael isn’t at home, please leave a message at mhk9@georgetown.edu.
