Mini Banana Split Icebox Cakes

Ingredients

• 0.5 small banana sliced
• 2 servings chocolate syrup for topping
• 12  chocolate wafers such as nabisco famous 
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar 
• 0.5 cup heavy cream chilled
• 2  maraschino cherries for topping
• 2 tablespoons peanuts toasted chopped for topping
• 0.5 cup strawberries diced sliced for topping
• 0.3 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Equipment

• blender
• plastic wrap
• hand mixer
• offset spatula
• butter knife

Directions

1. In a blender, puree the diced strawberries with 1 to 2 tablespoons water until thick and smooth. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and strawberry puree and continue whipping until slightly stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. For each dessert, place a chocolate cookie on a plate. Dollop with 1 tablespoon of the strawberry whipped cream; gently press another cookie on top. Repeat, alternating cookies and whipped cream, to make a stack 6 cookies high, ending with a cookie. Wrap lightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the cookies soften slightly, 3 to 4 hours. Cover and refrigerate the remaining whipped cream.
4. Just before serving, use an offset spatula or butter knife to smooth the sides of the cakes. Top each cake with a few strawberry and banana slices and some of the remaining whipped cream.
5. Drizzle with chocolate syrup.
6. Sprinkle with peanuts and top with a maraschino cherry.
7. Photograph by Anna Williams