Happy Friday! It’s been super hot here and the thought of turning on the oven has not been appealing. So this week, I’m excited to share Minnie’s Strawberries and Cream, an easy no-bake dessert! Inspired by a classic British summer dessert, these treats have layers of sweet sliced strawberries, whipped cream, and meringue cookies and are topped with a white chocolate bow!
One of my favorite things about travelling is experiencing new foods, especially sweet treats. When I was spending some time in the UK, I was able to try a lot of local foods and desserts and one that stuck with me was Eton Mess, which consists of whipped cream, berries, and meringue. Since it’s such a light dessert that uses fresh berries, I think of it as a summertime dessert. It’s perfect for hot days!
To make Minnie’s Strawberries and Cream, you’ll need strawberries, heavy cream, meringue cookies, and white chocolate melting wafers. If you want to make your own meringue cookies, you definitely can! However, it tastes just as good with store bought meringue cookies.
Start by preparing the strawberries so they can rest while you prepare the chocolate decorations and the whipped cream. For the strawberries, remove the stems and slice them into quarters.
Place them into a medium bowl and sprinkle 1-2 spoonfuls of granulated sugar on top. Stir the strawberries so they’re evenly coated with sugar. The sugar helps the strawberries release their juices, so you just need enough to cover them. Set the strawberries aside until you’re ready to assemble.
Next, make the white chocolate bows. For these, I used Ghirardelli white chocolate melting wafers. Place some of the white chocolate melting wafers into a microwave safe bowl. I used around 1/2 cup of wafers. Heat the wafers in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted.
Transfer the melted chocolate to a piece of wax or parchment paper. Use an offset spatula to spread the chocolate into an even layer. Let the chocolate set, about 15 minutes. Once the chocolate has set, use a bow shaped cookie cutter to cut out chocolate bows. I used a cookie cutter that I was part of a ShopDisney set that’s not available any more. However, it still pops up on resale sites, and there are also other similar options available.
Finally, make the whipped cream by beat the heavy cream until it reaches medium stiff peaks. For this, I used an electric hand beater and a chilled stainless steel bowl. I find chilling the bowl and beaters helps this process go a little bit quicker.
Once the whipped cream is prepared, use your hands to crush the meringue cookies and place them into into the whipped cream bowl. You might not end up using all of the meringue cookies, as you can do it to taste. Gently stir the mixture until combined.
To assemble Minnie’s Strawberries and Cream, spoon a layer of the whipped cream mixture into a glass. Spoon a layer of strawberries on top of the whipped cream layer. Repeat so you have two layers of each. Place a small dollop of whipped cream on top of last layer of strawberries. Gently press a chocolate bow into the whipped cream dollop. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Enjoy Minnie’s Strawberries and Cream! Happy Summer!
Minnie’s Strawberries and Cream
Ingredients
Strawberries and Cream
- 16 oz strawberries, washed
- 1-2 spoonfuls granulated sugar
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 4 oz meringue cookies
Decoration
- white chocolate melting wafers
Equipment
- bow cookie cutter
- offset spatula
- wax or parchment paper
Instructions
Strawberries
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Remove the stems from the strawberries. Slice them into quarters and place into a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1-2 spoonfuls of granulated sugar on top of the strawberries and stir until evenly coated. Let sit while you prepare the chocolate bows.
Chocolate Bows
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Place the white chocolate melting wafers in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted.
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Empty the bowl of white chocolate onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Using an offset spatula, spread the chocolate into an even layer. Let the chocolate set, about 15 minutes.
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Once the chocolate has set, use a bow shaped cookie cutter to cut the chocolate into bows. Set aside until ready to decorate.
Whipped Cream
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Place the heavy cream into a medium bowl. Beat the cream on medium high speed until it reaches medium stiff peaks. It’s helpful to use a chilled bowl and beaters.
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Use your hands to break the meringue cookies into pieces and place them into the whipped cream. You might not end up using all of the meringue cookies, as you can do it to taste. Gently stir to combine.
Assembly
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Spoon a layer of the whipped cream meringue mixture into a cup.
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Add a layer of strawberries on top of the whipped cream.
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Repeat so you have another layer of whipped cream and strawberries.
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Place a small dollop of whipped cream on top of the last layer of strawberries. Gently press a chocolate bow into the whipped cream.