No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

If you are like me, you have several boxes of graham crackers in your kitchen pantry. I really think that if there were to be a world wide apocalypse, graham crackers would survive. As long as they are properly sealed, they never go bad. Graham crackers remind me of my youth, when I went off to camp and the camp counselors would hand out graham crackers and orange juice as a mid-afternoon snack. Of course, back then they only had the original flavor. Now, they have cinnamon, chocolate and honey flavored graham crackers. To this day, my favorite flavor will always be "original". Is "original" a flavor?

Over the hot weekend, I decided to make a no-bake icebox dessert. I have tons of strawberries at home so this dessert was just begging to be made. It was (all gone now) delicious and the small amount of rosewater that I added to it, just gave it that nice touch.

No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 lbs fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
3 1/4 cups whipping cream or heavy cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp culinary rose water (optional)
24-28 whole graham crackers
2 ozs dark chocolate, finely chopped, if desired

Directions:
Take your washed and hulled strawberries and slice each berry into thin slices. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip 3 cups of whipping cream or heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and rosewater and whip to combine.

Spread to cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with some whipped cream. Lay down six graham crackers side by side. Lightly cover the top of the graham crackers with more whipped cream, and then a single layer of strawberries. Repeat three or four times (my pan allowed for four stacks), until you have three or four layers of graham crackers with whipped cream and strawberries. Spread the last of the whipped cream over the top of your crackers and add more strawberries (you want to layer like you layer a lasagna).

If desired, I did not, heat 1/4 cup of heavy cream until bubbles form around the edges, then pour over your chopped chocolate to make a ganache. Let it stand for a few minutes, then whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy. Drizzle this over the layered dessert with a spoon.  Alternatively, you can also add shaved chocolate curls.   Refrigerate for at least four hours, or until the crackers have softened completely. Throw on some basil leaves, just because green and red look so purty!!

Source: Recipe courtesy The Kitchn website!