Summery Berry Ice Box Cake

Hankering. That is the best way to describe how this dessert ended up featured in July's newsletter that just happened to fall on Independence Day this year. Our food cravings are an intricate system of sweet, salt, and even seasonal, so it wasn't long before the hankering for a cold and creamy dessert to adorn our table for the 4th of July started whirling around in my mind.

After a solid rotation of sunshine, burgers and dogs on a hot day that is pure Americana, it is only right that we find ourselves sliding into the shaded area of the back yard with a cold and celiac-friendly Ice Box Cake to please the palette. -Amber Y.

Summer Berry Ice Box Cake  makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients for Filling

• 1 8 oz pkg Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 pkg gluten-free Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
• 3.5 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 tsp Vanilla 
• 1 tsp fresh Lemon Juice
• 7 Éban’s Bakehouse White Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
• 1 cup sliced fresh Strawberries
• 1 cup fresh Blueberries

Directions

1. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened cream cheese and pudding mix until blended.
2. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and lemon juice with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. 
3. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese/pudding mixture and gently mix until just combined.
4. In a bread loaf baking pan, lightly spray the pan with a non- stick cooking spray, then place a layer of White Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal cookies on the bottom of the pan. You can cut/crumble up another cookie into smaller pieces to fill in the gaps as you form the layers.
5. Spread a thick layer (but no more than 1/3) of the cream mixture over the cookies.
6. Repeat layering cookies and the cream mixture two more times, forming 3 layers. There might be some cream mixture left over, if so I suggest dipping strawberries in it and setting them out on the table as well.
7. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. 
8. Right before serving, slice strawberries and place them in row (alternately) with the blueberries, as seen in pictures. 
9. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the edges, then cut slices of the Icebox cake and carefully lift out with an offset spatula onto a dessert plate. Garnish with a cream covered strawberry if desired.