The summer heat just screams cool, creamy desserts and as a result, this makes Chris very happy. I’m fairly confident he’d be perfectly content to only ever have a no bake dessert filled with whipped cream or pudding. Me? Not so much. I like to bake. I like to mix all the ingredients together, swipe a clean finger through to taste the dough, batter, or frosting. And let’s not forget the aroma of a well loved baked in kitchen. You know what I mean. The kind that conjures up memories, makes your house a home. It’s no wonder that some real estate agents recommend baking ready to bake refrigerated cookies prior to a showing. Because cookies, the waft of delight. . . yeah, no need to explain any further. I digress. It’s summer, it’s hot, and cool, creamy, and no bake desserts certainly have their place.

Ingredients:

• 2 big packages of fresh strawberries, washed, tops removed, and sliced
• 2 packages Angel food cake (I used store bought), cubed
• 1 package instant vanilla made per package directions
• 1 12 oz. container of Cool Whip

Preparation:

The most time consuming part of this recipe is all the slicing, dicing, and cutting into cubes. Start with the angel food. With a cutting board, cut into smaller sections and with each section, cut into cubes. Toss into a bowl and set aside. On the same cutting board, remove the tops of the strawberries and then slice. Transfer to another bowl; set aside. In a large bowl, prepare the pudding per package instructions. Once complete, fold in the Cool Whip until incorporated. Beginning and ending with strawberries, fill the bottom of the trifle bowl with a layer of strawberries, top with angel food cake, and pudding/ Cool Whip mixture and repeat. Store in refrigerator for 1-2 hours until ready to serve. Transfer leftovers to airtight container or cover the trifle bowl with cling wrap.