The Altitude Adjustment Section
No-bake dessert recipes are great for hot summer days. I usually go with the classic Nabisco famous chocolate wafers and whipped cream, but this recipe I found on the Kitchn website uses graham crackers, and lemon cream — what a great idea!
Ingredients
1/4 cup unsalted butter, very soft
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large lemons, zested and juiced
25 to 30 graham crackers, from about 4 sleeves
1 cup Lemon Curd (store-bought or homemade)slightly warmed, divided
Procedure
In the bowl of a stand mixer whip the butter until very soft. Gradually whip in the cream. When it has been smoothly combined with the butter, add the sugar, salt, and lemon zest. Whip until the cream forms firm peaks, then slowly beat in the lemon juice. Continue beating until completely combined. The cream should still hold soft peaks. Smear a small spoonful of the lemon cream in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lay down a layer of graham crackers and spoon 3/4 to 1 cup of the whipped cream over the top. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of the lemon curd. Repeat three more times, finishing with a top layer of whipped cream. (You will have four layers of graham crackers, and four layers of whipped cream.) Drizzle the final 1/4 cup lemon curd over the top of the cake in three straight lines, then draw a knife through these lines perpendicularly, creating a streaked checkerboard pattern. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours, until the crackers have softened to a cake-like texture (test this by inserting a thin knife along the side and bringing up a few crumbs). This can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time, but it is best consumed within a day or two, as it will get soggy if it sits too long. Serve with fresh berries, yum!
