It’s July … and sometimes the last thing you want to do is turn on your oven! Fortunately, Andrea and Stefin have a whole month of “no bake” treats to help keep you cool.

First up, though, the duo want to know which books Preheaters are dipping into this summer — food-related or not! Andrea’s already finished Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny, and Stefin is halfway through Greatest Hits by Laura Barnett. Both are also excited that Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere has been optioned for the screen by Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington. Post your reading suggestions to the Preheated Facebook community, and tune in for Preheated Book Club in Episode 85.

The first dessert of this Some Assembly Required month is a classic  No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake from Faith Durand, author of the perfectly seasonal Bakeless Sweets. This simple but nostalgic dessert of graham crackers, whipping cream and berries can be assembled in a few minutes and is perfect for feeding a potluck crowd, and for using up seasonal berries. Stefin reminds listeners that heavy cream turns to butter very quickly, so watch your whipping! She’s a little concerned that graham crackers won’t be available in England. Andrea suggests she make her own if she can’t find them in the shops. (That feels like a step too far, but if you’re interested, here’s King Arthur’s recipe!)

While strawberries are plentiful, Andrea also recommends Healthy Strawberry Oat Bars from Well Plated, if you, like she, have a hard time saying no at the fruit stand. These bars use white whole wheat flour, which can be harder to find outside the US. Andrea gives a short and scientific primer on the wonders of white whole wheat, but here’s a little more info on what makes this flour unique from The Kitchn.

Listeners: If you live outside the US, are you able to track down white whole wheat flour?

Speaking of potlucks, how about some historic American desserts for your Fourth of July picnic? Stefin and Andrea travel back to the 18th century to dissect some favorite sweets of US founding fathers and mothers. Which Preheated favorites were just as popular then as now?

=====

If  you’re intrigued by our podcast, make it easy on yourself and subscribe on Apple Podcasts. That way you can listen to more than one episode, and have them download automatically on your phone or tablet. You can also bake along with us in our Facebook group, Preheated.

*Amazon links are affiliate, meaning we receive a few cents when you purchase through our link.