Delicious Reading: Cakes Cottage and Strawberry Icebox Cake

When I began this column, I planned to review actual published cookbooks every month so I could provide new and exciting recipes. However, I don’t have the budget or space to acquire 12 cookbooks a year. Checking them out from the library is an option I have pursued, but I wanted to provide a new author each time, and many of the books there are by the same people. And the ones that aren’t have the more complicated recipes with exotic ingredients that I don’t think meet my readers (or my) needs. So, I turned to the internet where there are hundreds of food bloggers. Pinterest has made it easy to search for a new “author” making delicious, creative and accessible recipes. However, a delicious title and picture can sometimes take me to a blog that tries my patience. Sometimes the bloggers photograph every single step of the recipe. I appreciate a photo if they are trying to show me how thick the batter is going to be so I don’t worry I have goofed something up, but I don’t need a close up of someone cracking an egg. Sometimes bloggers write about their whole day before we get to the recipe. One of the things I love about cookbooks is reading the stories associated with certain recipes and I love the idea of a culinary scrapbook — foods that take you back to certain times and places. But there’s a big difference between this and running through your to-do list, recapping last night’s episode of “The Real Housewives of Orange County” and musing about cutting your hair before you tell us how to make the pancakes pictured above. Sometimes the blogs are so cluttered with ads and pop-ups, I wonder if I will get a computer virus along with a recipe. And sometimes, oh, sometimes, dear readers, I have probably kept you from a tasty dish because I exited the blog upon one too many grammatical errors. I tell you all of this so you will know the sacrifice I made to bring you to cakescottage.com.

I am sure the author is a lovely person. I don’t know if the author is a man or a woman, but they hope to open a countryside restaurant some day called Cakes Cottage, thus the name of the blog. The recipes are mostly for desserts, but there are some appetizers and main dishes as well. The photographs of the food are wonderful. The writing ... well ... if you are a teacher, the grammar and mechanics on this blog will make you want to get out your editing pen. If you are a graphic designer, the font choices might make you cringe. So, just scroll to the recipes. That’s what I realized I should have done. Or, maybe just stick with the recipe I am providing here. It is a cool, delicious dessert that comes together quickly and won’t heat up the kitchen on a hot summer day.

Strawberry Icebox Cake

• 9 ounces graham crackers
• 2 pounds fresh strawberries
• 3 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1 banana, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt

Cream powdered sugar, vanilla and salt with the heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until the cream mixture holds stiff peaks. (Note from Brooke: I like to chill the beater and the bowl before making whipped cream.)

Spread a thin layer of heavy cream mix in a 9x13-inch pan just to coat the bottom.

Layer 5 graham crackers across the center of the pan, then 2 more, breaking them as needed to fit around the top and bottom edges.

Spread a thick layer of heavy cream mix over grahams and top with a hearty layer of sliced strawberries.

Place graham crackers on top of strawberries, then heavy cream mix, then a layer of thinly-sliced bananas.

Repeat the graham-strawberries-cream layers 1 more time (3 times total) and you should reach the top of the pan.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until the graham crackers have softened completely.

Top with a few sliced strawberries or whole strawberries if you desire.

Serve chilled.