Herb's Wedding Cookie Cake

## Book Reference

Peach Cobbler Murder

No Bake, Cake.
*This cake must be refrigerated to set up—make it the night BEFORE you plan to serve it.*

### Ingredients

* 8 small packages of vanilla pudding mix\*\*\*
	+ The yield should be 2 cups per package if you make it according to the package directions. You can use sugar-free instant, regular instant, or the kind you have to cook. All will work. *(You can also use 5 larger packages of pudding, each package yielding 3 cups of pudding—if you do this, use 2 cups of milk or Half 'n Half for each package—as you can see, this recipe is very flexible.)*
* 10 cups *(2½ quarts)* whole milk *(or Half 'n Half if you want to splurge)*
* 2 pounds chocolate cookies wafers\*\*\*\*
	+ *(If you can't find chocolate cookie wafers in the cookie aisle of your grocery store, try the section where they keep ice cream toppings and ice cream cookies—that's where Florence Evans at the Red Owl in Lake Eden keeps them.)*
* 4-quart bowl
* Sweetened whipped cream for frosting and topping

### Directions

* Line the inside of your bowl with long strips of plastic wrap, leaving enough wrap to fold back over the top when your cake is finished.
* Cover the bottom of the bowl with chocolate to wafers, all the way out to the sides. You can break them in half or quarters if you want, but it's also okay just to lap them. *(Unlike a jigsaw puzzle, it doesn't matter if some pieces don't fit together exactly.)*
* Make the first two packages of pudding using 2½ CUPS OF MILK, not the 4 cups called for in the directions on the box.
* Pour approximately a third of the pudding over the layer of chocolate cookie wafers in your bowl. Gently spread it out with a rubber spatula. *(It doesn't have to be perfectly smooth, just not wildly uneven, that's all.)*
* Put another layer of chocolate cookie wafers on top of the pudding in the bowl. *(Again, it doesn't have to be perfect—the pudding will soak into the cookie wafers and all will be forgiven.)*
* Put half of the remaining pudding on top of the second layer of chocolate cookie wafers. Spread it out so it covers them.
* Lay down another layer of chocolate cookie wafers and top it with the remaining pudding. Spread out the pudding and lay down another layer of chocolate cookie wafers. *(Don't bother to wash out the bowl or pan you used to make your pudding. You're just going to make another batch.)*
* Using another 2 packages of pudding and another 2½ cups of milk, make your second batch of pudding.
* There are more chocolate cookie wafers to cover now, since the bowl is wider. Use half of the pudding to cover the cookies. Smooth the pudding with your rubber spatula, lay down another layer of chocolate cookie wafers, cover it with the remaining pudding, and top it with another layer of cookies. *(I'll bet you're already guessing what the rest of the cake will be like!)*
* Make the third batch of pudding using 2 packages of mix and 2½ cups of milk. Put half on top of the chocolate cookie wafers in your bowl, spread it out, and top it with more cookies. Now use the rest of the pudding and top it again with chocolate cookie wafers.
* One more time! Make the final batch of pudding using 2 packages of pudding mix and 2½ cups of milk. Spread half the pudding over the chocolate cookie wafers, smooth it, and cover it with more cookies. Put on the rest of the pudding, smooth it, and this time cover it with a DOUBLE LAYER OF CHOCOLATE COOKIE WAFERS.

*(Wasn't that easy? Even if you don't bake, you can make this cake)*

* Fold in the edges of the plastic wrap to cover the contents of your bowl. Find a plate that will fit inside the bowl on top of the cake. Put it in right side up so that it'll push the cake down slightly. Set a weight on top of the plate. I use a can of fruit.
* Refrigerate the cake until time to serve.
* When you're ready to serve, remove the weight and the plate, peel back the plastic wrap, and center a serving platter, right side down, over the top of the bowl. Invert the bowl, lift it off, and peel off the plastic wrap.
* Frost your cake with sweetened whipped cream. *(Hannah whips her own cream, but you can use the kind in the can if it's easier for you.)*
* Slice the cake as you would a pie, in wedge-shaped pieces. Everyone will ooh and ahh when you do. Pass a dish of sweetened whipped cream for those who want more, and enjoy!

## Conversion Charts

See Baking Conversion Chart for non-USA baking conversions.