"Anthill" Cake with Shortbread Cookies

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather the ingredients from the list. Beyond the standard set, you can add nuts, chocolate, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds to decorate the cake.

2. Step 2:

   

   For the cake, it's best to use shortbread, crumbly, or sugar cookies. Break the cookies into small pieces — you can do this by hand or with a rolling pin, crushing the cookies in a bag. You can, of course, do it faster in a blender, but the key is to stop in time so the cookies don't all turn to crumbs; some should stay in pieces.

3. Step 3:

   

   You can buy condensed milk already boiled, but it tastes better if you cook it yourself — you can boil it right in the can for about 2 hours in a pot of water. Put the boiled condensed milk in a bowl and add the softened butter. For a nicer color and a pleasant chocolate flavor, you can add a couple of tablespoons of cocoa. Beat with a mixer until you get a smooth, even cream.

4. Step 4:

   

   Put the cookie crumble in a deep bowl, pour the condensed-milk cream over it, and mix well so all the cookies are coated with cream.

5. Step 5:

   

   Mound the mixture onto a flat plate, carefully shaping it into an anthill with clean hands. On top, you can sprinkle poppy seeds, grated chocolate, or cookie crumbs. Put the cake in the refrigerator for 3 hours to set. After chilling, the cake slices easily into pieces. Serve the cake at a festive table or for family tea time. Enjoy!