No Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

Easy, light and refreshing, this dish aims to please! It's a perfect dessert for a summer BBQ or cookout. Just make sure to give the cake plenty of time to chill before serving. You can even make this the night before to save yourself some time on the day of your get-together!

{ Prep Time: 20 mins / Difficulty: Relatively Easy / Chill Time: 4 hours / Yields: 8 servings }

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh strawberries

3 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided

1/3 cup confectioners sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla

 extract
4 sleeves graham crackers
 (about 24-28 whole crackers)
2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:
1. Set aside 8 of the best looking strawberries for garnish (see photo above). Wash & hull the remainder of the strawberries, then dry on a paper towel. Cut each berry into thin slices.
2. With a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip 3 cups of cream until it just holds stiff peaks. This will take about 4-6 minutes. Add the confectioners sugar and vanilla; and whip to combine.
3. Spread a small spoonful (about 1/3 of the mixture) of whipped cream on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan, or a similar sized platter. Lay down enough graham crackers to cover the layer of whipped cream. Cover the top of the graham crackers with a single layer of strawberries. Repeat two more times, until you have 3 layers of graham crackers. Spread the last of the whipped cream over the last layer of graham crackers and swirl lightly with a spoon. Add a few more strawberries.
4. To make the ganache, heat 1/4 cup whipping cream 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 this over the layered dessert with a spoon, or transfer to a squeeze bottle and use that to drizzle.

Note: Refrigerate for at least four hours, or until the crackers have softened completely. Garnish with additional berries, if desired.

Recipe borrowed from The Kitchn