Gingerbread Ice box cake

A glamorous modern day spin on the old fashioned cake that I remember being served at family birthdays. My grandmother reminds me of it's origin, from the early 1930's when these cakes sat in the refrigerator (or Ice Boxes as they would say and never baked) in order to absorb it's flavor...

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Looks especially nice if assembled and presented on a round cake tray. Best if refrigerated overnight, as it allows for the frosting to soak into the ginger cookies, making it easier to slice.

1/2 recipe Molasses-Gingerbread dough (recipe follows)

4 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Syrupy Blood Oranges (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a floured piece of parchment, roll dough to 1/16 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto baking sheets, and freeze for 10 minutes.

2. Using a 2 3/8 inch fluted cutter cut out (a round cookie cutter), cut out 72 rounds. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets and freeze for 10 minutes.

3. Bake cookies for 5 minutes. Remove sheets from oven, and tap them firmly on counter to flatten cookies. Return to oven, rotating sheets, and bake until cookies are set and edges have darkened slightly, about 5 minutes more. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

4. Beat cream, sugar, and vanilla just until stiff peaks form. Arrange 7 cookies in a circle on a cake stand or a serving plate (cookies should be touching each other). Place 1 cookie in the center. Carefully, spread 3/4 cup whipped cream evenly over cookies, leaving a 3/4 inch cookie border. Repeat, making 8 more layers of each cookies and whipped cream. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

5. Just before serving, spoon some of the oranges and their syrup over top. Serve remaining oranges on the side.

Molasses-Ginger Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 tsps ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar

1/4 cup plus 1 TBS molasses

1 large egg, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, and molasses until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until smooth. Add flour mixture; beat until combined.Wrap dough in plastic, flattened into a disk. Chill until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.

Syrupy Blood Oranges

4 blood oranges, very thinly sliced into rounds

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups water

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add orange slices, and cook until semi-translucent, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer oranges to a baking sheet.

2. Cut a round of parchment paper to fit in a large, shallow saucepan. Bring sugar and the 2 cups water to a boil stirring until sugar has dissolved. Carefully add orange slices, and place parchment directly on the surface. Reduce heat, and simmer gently until oranges have softened and liquid is syrupy, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let oranges cool in syrup.

3. Halve or quarter some of the oranges slices if desired. (You can refrigerate these for up to 1 week, but be sure to bring to room temperature before serving).