Shelly's Recipe

STRAWBERRY CREAM FILLED GRAHAM CRACKER TORTE

Category: Tortes

8 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups graham crackers (about 20 crackers)
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup very finely chopped pecans
8 egg whites, beaten to stiff, not dry, peaks
2 cups strawberries, rinsed, hulled and cut in halves
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup chilled heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

Combine first 2 ingredients until very thick. Mix cracker crumbs and baking powder together. Folding until blended after each addition, add crumb mixture and pecans in fourths to egg yolk mixture. Fold beaten egg whites into egg yolk-crumb mixture.

Turn into an ungreased 9 inch springform pan and spread evenly to edges. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes; reduce oven to 325 and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until torte test done. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, lightly toss strawberries and sugar and refrigerate about 30 minutes; drain.

Remove torte from pan. Using a long thin sharp knife, cut a 1 inch crosswise layer from top of torte, then from this cut a 1/2 inch ring from the edge of layer and replace this ring o torte. Fill cavity with drained berries and spread with whipped cream. Put trimmed layer on top. Spread with semi-sweet chocolate frost over sides and top of torte. Refrigerate until ready to serve.