For most people from my generation, Strawberry Shortcake is an adorable little girl who smells like fake strawberries. I hadn’t had a strawberry shortcake in years, but recently, the strawberries from the Farmers Market were $5 for a flat, and who could resist? So I bought ’em, and then had a whole bunch of ripe strawberries that were all dressed up and had no where to go. So I sugared them, and we had strawberry shortcake. But I also happened to have mint on me, so I added mint to the shortcake, and the strawberries, too!
You guys, it occurred to me only after making this that it only takes about 30 minutes – truly – to put together. So I think it warrants being part of 30 in 30, if only because sometimes you might have unexpected company and want to make them dessert – or, you want some dessert but you have no one to make a cake for, and you don’t want to spend two hours making dessert for yourself, but 30 minutes? That’s basically no time at all.
Here’s the recipe:
6 cups strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
Here’s what you do. Preheat your oven to 450. Mix together 1/4 of your sugar with your sliced strawberries, and set aside.
Meanwhile, put your flour, baking powder, and remaining sugar together. Then, cut in your (cold) butter until your have a crumbly dough. Beat one egg in with your milk, then add to your dry ingredients, adding your mint here, too. Break your dough into eight pieces. Bake for about 10 minutes, until starting to brown (be wary not to over cook them, as the bottoms will scorch before you realize it!)
Now, let them cool, and meanwhile whip your cream by placing it into a bowl and whipping the dickens out of it with a whisk. The past two or three times I’ve done this with a metal bowl and metal whisk, and it seems to go faster, but I couldn’t tell you why. Either way, it’s a good arm workout! You’ve practically earned that shortcake. Or two.
So now, after you’ve baked the shortcakes for 10 minutes, pull them out and let them cool for another 10.
Now assemble your minty-strawberry-y goodness. Cut each shortcake in half, then layer whipped cream, strawberries, then the other half of the shortcake, then more whipped cream and strawberries. Add some mint, and you’re on your way to a happy treat that’ll make your heartstrings sing.
[addtoany] Yum