Homemade Organic Chocolate Wafers

(Ice Box Cake using Chocolate Wafers)

My husband grew up eating Ice Box Cake. I had never eaten before meeting him! Last year, he wanted this cake for his birthday dessert. There was just one problem: the chocolate wafers his mom used for the cake were not allergen-free for my daughter. My husband took this as a challenge to find a recipe for chocolate wafers that would be perfect for his cake!

He found a recipe on Smitten Kitchen, and they turned out great! Here's a copy of the recipe we used for the wafers:

Homemade Organic Chocolate Wafers:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (6.75 ounces) organic all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (2.4 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) organic unsalted butter, slightly softened
3 tablespoons organic whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of food processor and pulse several times to mix thoroughly. (If you don't have a food processor, just use a large bowl)

2. Cut the butter into about 12 chunks and add them to the bowl. Pulse several times. (If you don't have a food processor, just cut the butter into the mixture using a butter cutter or a fork)

3. Combine the milk and vanilla in a small cup. With the processor running, add the milk mixture and continue to process until the mixture clumps around the blade or the sides of the bowl. (If you don't have a food processor, just do the best you can by hand!) Transfer the dough to a large bowl or a cutting board and knead a few times to make sure it is evenly blended.

4. Form the dough into a log about 14 inches long and 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in wax paper or foil and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour, or until needed.

5. Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the baking sheets (not airbake pans) with parchment paper. 

6. Cut the log of dough into slices a scant 1/4-inch thick (I went thinner, closer to 1/8 of inch. If you’re trying to emulate the store-bought wafers, slice as thin as you can, and watch the baking time carefully, as it might be less.) and place them one inch apart on the lined sheets (cookies will spread). 

7. Bake, rotating the baking sheet from top to bottom and back to front about halfway through baking, for a total of 12 to 15 minutes. The cookies will puff up and deflate; they are done about 1 1/2 minutes after they deflate.

8. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets on racks, or slide the parchment onto racks to cool completely. These cookies may be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks or be frozen for up to two months.

Note: These cookies should crisp as they cool. If they don’t, you’re not baking them long enough; return them to the oven to reheat and bake a little longer, then cool again.