Dessert Emergency, Strawberry Shortcake to the Rescue!

Ah the special foods of summer call each and everyone of us to remember why we love food so much. We all draw pictures in our minds that connect us to food and family memories, and love to re-live those memories. I can see in my mind’s eye that flagstone patio in Lakewood, Colorado where I grew up, and the table with all the yummy things mom put on it throughout the summer. There was home made ice cream, blueberry pies, cherry pies and more. One dish in particular has the ability to take me back to that flagstone patio and that’s strawberry shortcake. Now even though my mom was a good baker she usually bought the spongecake type of shortcake from the local grocery store for the ground floor of our strawberry masterpiece. It wasn’t until I was 15 and spent most of the summer at my Aunt and Uncle’s house south of Cleveland I learned about the biscuit dough type of shortcake. It changed my mind for ever on what was the best base layer in this favorite American Strawberry dessert. I like the way the biscuit dough soaks up the juices  and still have a wonderful texture to it. It does add a bunch of calories though so I don’t have it very often like that. My wife on the other hand likes pound cake on the base layer. On Saturday night we had a dessert emergency. You know the kind where dinner is over and there is nothing suitable in the house for a special weekend dessert. My wife decided it was time for Strawberry Shortcake and wanted her version on poundcake served with real home made whipped cream. Resistance was futile, and off I went to the local grocery store to buy the goods. I brought it all home and set to work on 15 minutes of Fast and Furious style dessert prep. Photos were not part of the prep but I’m glad I shot the finished product. Here’s what went into it:

one pound strawberries sliced

one half pint heavy cream whipped with a bit of powdered sugar

one small package of Monkfruit in the raw, for the berries

one half teaspoon of Grand Marinier

a touch of ground nutmeg for garnish

I laid the foundation of poundcake and  poured on top the Grand Mariner.

Next I piled sliced sweetened strawberries on top.

Then I piped the whipped cream through a pastry bag on top of the berries.

Finally the nutmeg graced the the top of the whipped cream.

The result? It was fabulous! The Grand Marnier gave it a lovely orange spice that set the pace for the sweet, crisp strawberries to mix with. The whipped cream created a smooth silky binder to keep it all together and the nutmeg added an exotic complexity to tantalize the palate. This was the first time I made the version of strawberry shortcake. It might make another appearance later this year, but even if it doesn’t it created a memory of a perfect late spring day enjoying fresh fruit gifts of the season.

Disclaimer:

I was gifted some Monkfruit in the Raw from the good folks at In The Raw at the recent Eat Write Retreat bloggers event, however their gift did not influence my opinion.

Disclaimer:

I was gifted some Monkfruit in the Raw from the good folks at In The Raw at the recent Eat Write Retreat bloggers event, however their gift did not influence my opinion.