“I can hear
September’s
leaf
following
me
down
the asphalt
surface
of Locust Street
cartwheeling
on pins
when suddenly,
it stops —
just
to see
if I’ll turn
to look.”
~ Author Unknown
Do you sense the changes of September yet? Has it come too early for you? Have you been longing for it, greeting it with open arms? In my youth, I was a lover of the summer, but as I grow older I find myself falling in love with the coming of autumn. The pace slows and there is less goings-on demanding my attention. It’s a more serious time of year which matches a large part of my personality. But, in early September it takes some time for me to give up the youthful call of summer. I feel there is still fun to be had as long as these southern lakes are warm.
The recipe I’m sharing with you today still belongs to the summer. Tarta de Galletas (Cookie Cake) is a classic dessert originating in Spain. It is a way to have cake without heating the stove and house. You will find Maria cookies in the international aisle of most grocery stores nowadays. They are very close in flavor to our animal crackers. Comparable to our chocolate chip cookie, this cake has been made in almost every Spanish home.
This is my own personal recipe for this classic which I’m so happy to be sharing with you.
*contains raw eggs (Consuming raw eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness)
Ingredients (Serves 12)
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup milk plus 3 tbsp
1 ½ sticks of butter, cut into tbsp size pieces
3 eggs, separated
¼ cup sugar plus 1 tbsp
2 tbsp Licor 43 or rum (optional)
50-70 Maria Cookies (I used Goya Maria Cookies, 2 pkgs ~ 7 oz. each)
Instructions
Heat chocolate and 3 tablespoons of milk over low heat stirring until melted and well combined. Add the butter a piece at a time and stir until completely incorporated. Remove from the heat.
Add ¼ cup of sugar to the egg yolks and beat well with a whisk.
Add egg mixture to the chocolate and thoroughly incorporate. Completely cool the mixture in the refrigerator.
When mixture is completely cooled, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. (Do not over beat.)
Add egg whites to cooled chocolate mixture and mix well.
Heat 1 cup of milk with Licor 43 (optional) and a tablespoon of sugar until very warm.
Remove from the heat.
Dip cookies into warm milk and begin the bottom layer of the cake by laying the cookies in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping. (I used the outside of an 8” springform pan as a mold.)
Pour some of the chocolate mixture over the top and spread to cover all the cookies.
Make the next layer of cookies the same as the first. Repeat 3 more times. (There should be 4 layers of cookie and chocolate if using an 8” diameter mold.)
Reserve any leftover cookies for crushing and garnishing.
Refrigerate cake in the mold in the refrigerator for 5 hours.
Remove mold and garnish with crushed cookies.
Enjoy!
Tarta de Galletas (Cookie Cake)
Ingredients
- Serves 12
- 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 cup milk plus 3 tbsp
- 1 ½ sticks of butter cut into tbsp size pieces
- 3 eggs separated
- ¼ cup sugar plus 1 tbsp
- 2 tbsp Licor 43 or rum optional
- 50-70 Maria Cookies I used Goya Maria Cookies, 2 pkgs ~ 7 oz. each
Instructions
- Heat chocolate and 3 tablespoons of milk over low heat stirring until melted and well combined. Add the butter a piece at a time and stir until completely incorporated. Remove from the heat.
- Add ¼ cup of sugar to the egg yolks and beat well with a whisk.
- Add egg mixture to the chocolate and thoroughly incorporate. Completely cool the mixture in the refrigerator.
- When mixture is completely cooled, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. (Do not over beat.)
- Add egg whites to cooled chocolate mixture and mix well.
- Heat 1 cup of milk with Licor 43 (optional) and a tablespoon of sugar until very warm.
- Remove from the heat.
- Dip cookies into warm milk and begin the bottom layer of the cake by laying the cookies in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping. (I used the outside of an 8” springform pan as a mold.)
- Pour some of the chocolate mixture over the top and spread to cover all the cookies.
- Make the next layer of cookies the same as the first. Repeat 3 more times. (There should be 4 layers of cookie and chocolate if using an 8” diameter mold.)
- Reserve any leftover cookies for crushing and garnishing.
- Refrigerate cake in the mold in the refrigerator for 5 hours.
- Remove mold and garnish with crushed cookies.
- ¡Que aproveche!
I love food! I read cookbooks like they were novels. I get giddy in a farmer’s market. I find a chicken in a pot surrounded by carrots, onion, and celery a thing of beauty. My favorite sound is Mmmmmmmm!
this looks soo delicious.
Thank you. It’s one of my favorites. 🙂
That looks scrumptious Tammy, what a fantastic cake!
Thank you so much!
It’s time for you to make this again
You commented on my blog!!! Yea! I agree. This needs to happen. 😀
Some children in my neighborhood in Chipiona Spain made me one of these cookie cakes for my birthday one year! You just brought back lovely memories of my favorite place on earth!!
That makes me so happy!