Recipe of the Week - Strawberry Shortcakes (yummy!!)

Strawberry shortcake is a very simple dessert with three very important components: the biscuit, the strawberries and the whipped cream. My family always made a sweet homemade biscuit for strawberry shortcakes. I have heard that some people use a real cake-like base such as sponge cake or pound cake. I continue my family tradition by using a biscuit for the base “cake”. My shortcut for shortcakes is to use the original Bisquick mix recipe for the shortcake. I use as many fresh strawberries as possible along with fresh blueberries and raspberries. Since most store bought strawberries are not the juiciest, I supplement an inexpensive (store-brand) carton or container of frozen pre-sweetened strawberries. The third component that really makes this the absolutely best dessert is the homemade whipped cream. Cool-whip and the whipped cream in an aerosol type canister are alright in a pinch but try the homemade whipped cream if you have the extra 10 minutes. This is my version of a family summer treat! So far, my summer guests have always raved about my Strawberry Shortcake dessert. This isn’t exactly the same as my childhood memory but it tastes almost as good, so I will indulge myself just the same. Nothing can top picking wild strawberries around the camp "fields" or seeing Papa bring us a pint of strawberries after he and E-E came back from strawberry picking that day. And then the homemade whipped cream my Mom made..... I could eat it all day!!! (maybe my sisters or Mom will correct my imperfect memories with a few comments....). This recipe makes 6 generous servings. Shortcake: 2 1/3 Cups Original Bisquick ½ Cup Milk 3 Tbsp sugar 3 Tbsp butter melted Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Stir all ingredients until soft dough forms. Drop by 6 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown. To serve: Split each shortcake in half, fill with strawberries and top with whipped cream. You may make the dough 4 hours in advance. Bake later when needed for dessert. Strawberries: 1 quart washed, ripe, hulled strawberries. 1 package of frozen pre-sweetened strawberries, thawed. Mash fresh strawberries, then mix with thawed strawberries. Keep in refrigerator until serving time; may stay fresh in sealed container for two days in refrigerator. Whipped Cream: I always make this at the last moment; minutes before guest arrive. Always wear an apron or major towel to cover up your front side!! White, whipped cream flecks all over your outfit is a no-no!!! 2 Cups whipping cream, heavy cream 3 Tbsp. white, refined sugar 1 tsp. vanilla Pre-chill the deep bowl and mixing beaters in the freezer. Pour 2 cups whipping cream into chilled bowl. Mix on medium for one minute. Increase speed on mixer to high speed. Once cream begins to thicken, add 3 Tbsp of sugar (or confectioner’s sugar) gradually as you continue beating. Once cream is thick, add 1 tsp. of vanilla. Do not over beat!! Cream becomes butter. Take your time but should be completely whipped in less than 10 minutes. To assemble: Use medium dessert bowl or dessert plate. Place one biscuit base in bowl, place a “ladle” of strawberries onto biscuit. Add the top of the split biscuit. Spoon sweetened whipped cream over top and add fresh blueberries and raspberries if you have some. For a half size portion, I use just the bottom half of the biscuit and omit the top biscuit. Sometimes we skip the main meal and go right for the dessert – it is fruit – right? I add more strawberries on the top biscuit then a double serving of whipped cream (OK, none of us are losing weight around here on that diet!!). Enjoy!!