{flavor stories} icy peppermint stack cake...

Hello, happy holidays! We're still waiting on snow in these parts, but we've been decorating for the season. We have a simple tree with wee globe lights and a tiny white star. As well as cedar boughs hanging from the door and winter blooms on our table. It's nice...it feels like Christmas. And you know, this Icy Peppermint Stack Cake feels like Christmas, too!

It's a simple and festive twist on an old classic chocolate and cream log my mom used to make. It takes about fifteen minutes to prepare {perfect for this time of year!} and requires only five ingredients.

You'll need:
250 ml heavy cream
1-1/2 teaspoons confectioner's sugar
a couple drips of peppermint extract
24 chocolate wafers {I use Mr. Christie}
a handful of crushed peppermints or candy canes {this makes it easy}

Here's how:
1. Whip the heavy cream with the confectioner's sugar and peppermint extract until soft peaks.
2. Sandwich 12 cookies together with the whipped cream and place in a line on their sides, to form a log shape.
3. Cover with remaining cream and sprinkle with crushed peppermints.
4. Allow to chill for at least 2 hours before serving {makes 2-12 cookie logs or 1-24 cookie log}.
5. To serve cut on a diagonal with a warm dry knife.

*For a chocolaty version sift a little cocoa powder into the whipped cream. Or for a hazelnut and chocolate version, skip the mint extract, sift a little cocoa powder into the whipped cream and add a thin layer of nutella under the whipped cream of every second cookie. Yum!

Wishing you and yours the very brightest of holiday seasons {and hopefully we'll get snow!}.

—Nikole

{photos by Michael Graydon, styling by Nikole Herriott for Oh Joy}