Mini Ice Cream Cakes

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the egg, oil, and buttermilk, then whisk until well combined. Finally, pour in the boiling water and whisk until the batter is smooth.

Fill each muffin liner with about 1 tablespoon of batter. Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cakes cool completely at room temperature. Meanwhile, remove the ice cream from the freezer so it can soften.

Once the cakes have cooled, add about 2 tablespoons of ice cream to each muffin cup, spreading it evenly with the back of a spoon. Return to the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until firm again.

Near the end of the freezing time, make the cookie layer by placing the cookies in a food processor and blending into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles wet sand.

To make the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot heavy cream over them. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature.

Remove the muffin tins from the freezer and top each ice cream cake with about 1 tablespoon of the cookie crumb mixture, gently pressing it into an even layer. Transfer the ganache to a piping bag and drizzle over each cake.

Return to the freezer for at least 1 hour, or until completely firm. Serve immediately and enjoy!