The long, cold and dreary winter has lifted from New York City only to go directly into summer (bye spring). This leaves me to struggle with dealing with baking in the summer. Technically speaking, you really can't bake with such humidity in the air. Cakes don't rise, frostings don't set, creating unnecessary stress. My solution? Ice box cakes to save the day. The term "ice box" is retro, referring to refrigerators or freezers. This delightful style of dessert lost popularity over the years but has been on a comeback tour. My guess is that they're here to stay.
This version requires a little baking for the crust which I can live with for the 10 minute preheat and the 12 minute bake time. When I was first getting into baking around the age of ten, I remember trying to bake chocolate chip cookies on a hot July night in Chicago. Both of my parents were into the idea of my baking for them but then an entire portion of our house turned into a sauna. I think I doubled the recipe which meant the oven stayed on for 2 hours. By the end of it everyone was sweating and not in the mood for cookies. My father quickly said no more baking in the summer and my mother modified the request by saying you have to bake before 7am. I probably starting tearing up and quipped, "I was only trying to do something nice." Which inevitably broke my parent's combined hearts, drama queen daughter for the win. They both were right in their comments, no baking in summer is a relief and if you need to bake, the earlier in the day the better.
This recipe is refreshing, light and smooth. I had all of the contents in my fridge. This Strawberry Ricotta & Cheese Torte is perfection. I had enough of each ingredient to complete the dish. I used a rectangular pan but you can easily use a circular tart pan with the same ingredient measurements.
For the crust;
1 1/2 cups ground graham crackers
2 tbsp of unsalted melted butter cooled
1 tsp of fine salt
Preheat oven to 350. Place a metal bowls and whisk attachment(s) in freezer.
Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until you have a fine granulated texture. You can also break the cookies up by hand for a more textured crust. Combine with butter and salt. Press into the bottom of baking dish, going about 1/4 inch up the sides. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.
After the crust is cooled begin making the filling
1 cup whole Greek yogurt
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup of raw honey
Remove beater(s) from freezer and begin to beat the heavy whipping cream on a low speed. After one minute add the honey and turn the speed up to a medium pace, beat for two minutes. Soft peaks should be forming, carefully watch the mixture to not over beat. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on high speed for 30-60 seconds until well combined.
Pour and smooth the contents over the cooled crust. Place in the refrigerator for at least four hours to properly set.
While the dessert sets, remove the stems and slice a handful of fresh strawberries. Place in a bowl and toss with a tablespoon of balsamic glaze. Garnish the Torte with strawberries right before you serve.
