shortcut to shortcakes.

there are some posts that come easy and some that don't. this one did not.

i have been racking my brain trying to come up with a clever story to tell you about how growing up this was THE mother's day dessert with our clan. how that if we were at our house or at my grandparents that sweet sweet store bought angel food cake was present on the counter along side a carton of juicy sweet strawberries and a container of cream begging to be whipped. about how the cooks of the family wanted to get something foolproof for a 6 & 8 year old to assemble (as the husbands were utterly hopeless, outside having a cold beer and discussing business) so they would not have to bake and it be delicious. about how now as a grown-up when i see these cakes make their appearance around mother's day i remember my grandma, miss my mom terribly and get all teary eyed (as i am right now). about how this symbolizes spring for me and the bounty of fresh produce soon to come. about how three simple ingredients can make something so spectacular you wounder what you are doing with those yard long recipes with ridiculous instructions.

i have been trying to figure out a clever way to convey my thoughts and have been coming up blank.

hang on a minute....i think i just told you. xoxo


simple as one. two. three.

buy one pre-made angel food cake - the one in the black container with the clear top (my son calls these marshmallow cakes) typically found close to the fruit this time of year. buy a container of strawberries that are so sweet and juicy you smelt them from across the store and were hypnotized by them. head over to the dairy department and snag a container of whipping cream. then head home. have your celebratory meal. pour yourself a glass of chilled white wine & tell the others present how to assemble this dessert for you; hull and slice the strawberries - good sized chunks. whip your cream: place 1 cup of cold cold cream into a bowl (chilled bowl if possible) and begin to whip. once you start to see soft peaks add about 2 tablespoons of sugar and one tsp of vanilla. if you are a fancy gourmet and have a vanilla bean on hand, slice and scrape that baby up and add it in. adjust the sweetness to your liking (meaning add more sugar if you want). whip until firm peaks are achieved - don't go to far or you get butter, or do if that's your thing. slice the cake in half inch slices after removing from the container (did i have to tell you that?).  place a slice on the plate top with a dollop of whip cream, add some strawberries and repeat. then go ot to the patio, sip your wine and wait for your dessert. happy mother's day.


now if you have a willing husband or capable children here is an amazing recipe for actual shortcakes. i sold these at the abbotford strawberry festival years ago and they were a hit - sold like hotcakes, well i guess like shortcakes!

preheat your oven to 425f. in a food processor combine 2 1/2 cups, spooned and leveled, ap flour; 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces; 1/3 cup of sugar; 2 and a half teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. pulse until it becomes a coarse meal. add the milk; pulse 4 to 5 times to moisten. do not over-pulse. turn out dough on to a well floured worktop. with floured hands gently pat the into a 4 by 8 inch rectangle. dust a large knife with flour and cut 8 squares. transfer to a baking sheet and press the squares down slightly.  sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar. bake until golden about 20 minutes - my first time i did 25 and found that too long for my oven but yours might vary. cool on sheet.
to serve split biscuits in half with a serrated knife and layer with berries and cream.

lovingly borrowed from martha stewart.