Strawberry Surprise

This afternoon I had left the Italian bakery and went next door to the fruit & vegetable stand with the intention of buying a tomato for a sandwich and the smell of sweet, ripe strawberries wafted up and smacked me right in the face.   The smell was so sweet and fragrant I couldn't resist buying two big containers of them.

Strawberries aren't exactly in season quite yet,   but these ruby beauties glistened in their plastic shell and beckoned me to take them home...  I was more than happy to oblige.

While the majority of these will be eaten just as they are, a few lucky berries will be swimming in a cloyingly sweet syrup drizzled over top of a strawberry shortcake.

There are two schools of thought where a shortcake is considered...  some prefer more of a "biscuit" type shortcake that isn't sweet at all.   My insatiable sweet-tooth however, won't stand for it.   The "shortcake" part of my dessert is a rich buttery cake that is sweet and good enough to eat on its own.

There is one thing that I must insist on when making this:  make fresh whipped cream.  This is an incredibly easy thing to do and it consists of 3 ingredients (heavy cream, sugar & vanilla).  I know some people (Mom) will say that the stuff in the can is just as good or that it is easier to just buy it but TRUST ME, spend the 5 minutes it takes to make the fresh whipped cream because it really does make a difference.


Strawberry Shortcake
- the first thing to get done is the strawberries because they need a little time to macerate and ooze their goodness into the aforementioned syrup.  
- Wash and slice a pound and a half of strawberries. Place them in a bowl that is slightly larger than needed and sprinkle 1/2 to 3/4 cup of sugar over them and give it a quick stir.  Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes (or until your strawberries have made a lovely rose-colored syrup).

For the cake:
1/2 stick butter
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. flour
1 egg

- Melt the butter in a 9x9 glass baking dish.  Mix the rest of the ingredients together and pour into dish.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

-Once the cake has cooled,  cut into squares, spoon over a dollop of fresh whipped cream and the strawberries with their syrup.

This dessert is quick and simple, but even easier to eat.  Make it for your Mom this Sunday and tell her you love her. 

Happy Mother's Day Momma.
xo,
Pook