National Chocolate Wafer Day: Famous Chocolate Refrigerator Roll

Today is National Chocolate Wafer Day! I love chocolate wafers, and I usually have a few boxes in the pantry-- 1) because they're not always easy to find and 2) I make my cheesecake chocolate crusts with them.

Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers, the most famous for sure, are thin and round, crisp and dark. I did a little digging into the history of these Wafers (not called cookies). According to a Washington Post article (and I can't find the reference/mea culpa!) in the Nabisco's archives there is a 1929 ad for the chocolate wafers. The copy in the ad suggests layering the wafers with whipped cream and refrigerating them overnight for an easy, elegant dessert.  By 1930, the recipe for Famous Chocolate Refrigerator Roll was printed on each tin of the chocolate wafers. Don't you wish the Famous Chocolate Wafers still came in a tin? How cool is that? Found a tin on Tias (without wafers) and one on eBay, but can't decide if I want to spring for it. Note that the original tin had 10 ounces. Now there are only 9 ounces.

Famous Chocolate Refrigerator Roll aka Icebox Cake!
Recipe from Nabisco

Don't be afraid to experiment with flavor in the Whipped Cream such as Kahlua or Chocolate Liqueur or add just a bit of sugar when you're whipping the cream. Here's the "original" recipe. The whipping cream actually softens the wafers, so this is absolutely delicious, and, as always, easy!

Ingredients:
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pt. (2 cups) whipping cream, whipped
1 pkg. (9 oz.) FAMOUS Chocolate Wafers

Preparation:
ADD vanilla to whipped cream; stir gently until well blended.
SPREAD 1-1/2 tsp. of the whipped cream mixture onto each wafer. Stack wafers together, then stand on edge on serving platter to make a log.
Frost with the remaining whipped cream mixture. 
REFRIGERATE at least 4 hours or overnight. Cut dessert diagonally into 14 slices to serve.
Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

I like to add chocolate curls or grated chocolate to the top. On the Fourth of July, I add raspberries and blueberries!

Photo: Refrigerator (Icebox) Cake from Nabisco website and reproduced on the Box
Tin on Tias