GINGERBREAD ICEBOX CAKE WITH BLOOD-ORANGE SYRUP

Gingerbread Icebox Cake with Blood-Orange Syrup image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Number Of Ingredients 6

All-purpose flour, for dusting
1/2 recipe Molasses-Gingerbread Cookies dough
4 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Syrupy Blood Oranges

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough to 1/16 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto baking sheets, and freeze for 10 minutes.
Using a 2 3/8-inch fluted cutter, cut out 72 rounds. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze 10 minutes.
Bake cookies for 5 minutes. Remove sheets from oven, and tap them firmly on counter to flatten cookies. Return to oven, rotating sheets, and bake until cookies are set and edges have darkened slightly, about 5 minutes more. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
Beat cream, sugar, and vanilla just until stiff peaks form. Arrange 7 cookies in a circle on a cake stand or a serving plate (cookies should be touching one another). Place 1 cookie in center. Carefully spread 3/4 cup whipped cream evenly over cookies, leaving a 3/4-inch cookie border. Repeat, making 8 more layers each of cookies and whipped cream. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Just before serving, spoon some of the oranges and their syrup over top. Serve remaining oranges on the side.