This old-fashioned chilled pecan torte is made from layers of graham crackers and brown-sugar whipped cream studded with chopped pecans. After several hours in the refrigerator, the crackers soften into a sliceable cake-like dessert, served with a simple strawberry-balsamic sauce.

Prep: About 30 minutes | Chill: At least 6 hours | Total: About 6 hours 30 minutes | Servings: About 8 | Difficulty: Moderate (3 of 5) | Cost: Moderate (3 of 5) | Region: American

Ingredients

Pecan torte

• 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecan pieces
• 33 small square graham crackers, approximately 2 1/2 inches each

Strawberry-balsamic sauce

• 2 cups frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Chill a large mixing bowl and whisk or beaters. Beat the cold whipping cream with the brown sugar until firm peaks form, taking care not to overwhip.
2. Gently fold the finely chopped pecans into the whipped cream.
3. Arrange 3 graham crackers, touching edge to edge, on a flat serving platter to form a small rectangle. Spread a thin, even layer of pecan cream across them; reserve enough cream to cover the outside after stacking.
4. Continue alternating sets of 3 graham crackers and thin layers of pecan cream until all 33 crackers have been used, creating 11 cracker layers. Press each layer gently to stabilize the stack.
5. Chill the layered stack for 20–30 minutes if needed to firm it. With the help of a broad spatula, carefully turn the torte onto its long side so the crackers are vertical. If turning risks breaking it, leave it horizontal; the dessert will still soften and slice.
6. Spread the remaining pecan cream over the top and sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, until the crackers soften and the dessert can be sliced.
7. For the sauce, blend the thawed strawberries with the granulated sugar and balsamic vinegar until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
8. Slice the chilled torte with a sharp knife and serve each piece with chilled strawberry sauce.

Cook’s notes

• Keep the torte and sauce refrigerated at 40°F or below because the dessert contains whipped cream.
• Do not leave the assembled dessert at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• The cracker layers need several hours to soften; assemble the torte well ahead of serving.
• Pecans are tree nuts; the dessert also contains dairy and wheat.