Well, it's Wednesday morning again...The weekend went way too fast as well as the first part of the week. Tomorrow is the last day of swim lessons for the girls and I'm actually really sad to see it end because they have enjoyed it so, so much. Ava was bumped up to level two after the first three days and Charlotte is finally going under water and completing her skills sets for level one. As I sit here I quickly close my eyes {for a nano second} while sipping on this 'cuppa' mint tea and start mentally preparing myself for the day, I usually wake up a tad more refreshed but I was up at 3 am this morning dealing with the aftermath of Naomi trying prunes for the first time {will I ever learn my lesson with babies trying that particular food? ha!} Ava usually keeps me stepping in the morning, constantly reminding me that we can't be late for lessons and she's in her suit about two hours before we even have the leave; I truly hope she acts the same way when it comes to kindergarten this fall. One of my favorite summer memories as a kid was going to morning swim lessons and then getting to go off the diving board at the end of the second week, needless to say, both of these girls are so excited to do that on Thursday. I told the girls I would make a special dessert to celebrate the end of swim lessons if they try and complete all of the skills needed for their level. Charlotte's last skill to complete is the task of 'diving for rings', fingers crossed that she finally tries it. The recipe I'm going to make is one that I've shared before on here but it's a favorite in our house, even my non-dessert loving husband will eat this {and go back for seconds}..
No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed
- 3 1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
- 1/3 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 sleeves graham crackers (I sometimes end up using less after I break a bunch)
- 4 ounces semi sweet baking chocolate, chopped
Directions:
- Hull the strawberries and slice into thin slices.
- In a mixer, whip 3 cups of cream (medium high speed) until it just holds stiff peaks.
- Add the confectioner's sugar and vanilla extract. Whip to combine.
- Spread a small spoonful of the whipped mixture on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan, or platter.
- Lay down six graham crackers. Lightly cover the top of the graham crackers with a thin layer of whipped mixture, and then a single layer of strawberries. (Repeat three more times, until you have four layers of graham crackers.)
- Spread the last of the whipped cream over the top and swirl it lightly with a spoon. (I use my favorite icing tool)
- Add a few more strawberries to the top.
- Next, make the Chocolate Ganache topping: heat the remaining cream on the stove until bubbles form around the edges, then pour over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for a few minutes, then whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy.
- Drizzle over cake and then refrigerate at least 4 hours before enjoying!
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