Beautiful Food

Happy Memorial Day!  I hope you all were able to celebrate and remember those who served.

It is time for me to share a most simple and delectable dessert otherwise known as strawberry shortcake, but this “cake” was so tall, it took two of us to finish it!

To start, I borrowed a recipe from a #Bisquick box and dressed it up a little.

Here is the basic version:

‘Cake’ mix:

*Preheat oven to 350º  ( I used a toaster oven and it works great for smaller portions)

2 1/3 c. Bisquick mix

1/2 c. milk (almond milk will work, too)

3 Tbs. sugar

3 Tbs. butter (room temperature)

Topping:

Strawberries (frozen or fresh) or other favorite berries

3 more Tbs. sugar

Whipped topping (or in this case beat heavy whipping cream)

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To start, I took frozen berries from the freezer and sprinkled them with 3 Tbs. of sugar that was set aside for the topping.  I let these thaw and soak in the sugar because we all need more sugar in our lives ‘amiright’?

Next I mixed the cake ingredients using a fork and my hands— because licking bisquick batter is the BEST.  THE BEST!!!!

The dough should resemble a thick, chunky, almost paper-mache like quality batter with a little stiffness.  If it’s too runny you’ll have shortcake cookies instead of nice tall lumps of cake.  If this is the case, just add a little more bisquick!

I also prepped a baking sheet with tin foil and cooking spray because this stuff can get quite sticky.  Just some advice…

Plop down balls of dough and make them as big and tall as you’d like.  They may spread out a tad during the cooking process so give them several inches of space between each one.  There is literally no right or wrong way to do this.

The instructions on the the box say to bake for 10-12 minutes, but I give them a little extra blast of heat at the end and add a few more minutes because I like mine crunchy on the outside.  You can play and experiment with this and make them as soft or as crunchy as you’d like.  Just keep an eye on them or you could end up with burned biscuits.  Who wants that?

That reminded me of one of my favorite childhood films you can catch here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kXSp89tOXk

While the ‘cakes’ are baking ( and let’s get real, it’s more like a sweet biscuit…), you can get out your favorite whipped topping OR you can make some from scratch with heavy whipping cream.  If you’ve never done this let me give you a little hint– it takes time.  If you want to make a big batch and pour a whole pint into a kitchen aid mixer and have it mix it for you, go for it.  If you plan on making a smaller amount, get the half-pint size at the store (I got the smallest carton of Highland brand I could find)….(and let’s get real again– it’s kind of pricey)….pour it into a good sized coffee mug and use one of these bad boys to stir and firm it up.

I found this handy dandy hand mixer, also known as a milk frother, online for under 10 bucks.  But you can probably find one locally although I haven’t seen them all that commonly.  I’ll make it easy on you if you want one:  http://www.amazon.com/IKEA-Produkt-Milk-Frother/dp/B002Y6FBU2

After that, the box recipe says to cut it in half, but believe me this is easier said than done.  You may have better luck with a serrated knife, but saw slowly if you want it perfect, otherwise prepare to sprinkle some chunks and crumbs around and about your creation.  If you’re going for eats over looks then no worries–Cut away !

Other than that, the last thing to do is to lather on the whipped cream and berries in any way you prefer and top it with the other half of the cake.   I added a little bit of toasted pecans on top for some extra crunch and color, and just another word to the wise, you can add whatever else you fancy into the heavy whipping cream for flavor as well.   My favorite is using #Tone’s brand maple cinnamon topping.  It’s also great in coffee.  I learned this from working at Starbucks in college.  SHHHH– don’t tell anyone this but when the cafe was slow or empty, we would experiment and make our own ‘mousse’ concoctions with the whipped cream dispensers and whatever syrups we had on hand.  It’s really a shame they didn’t market mocha whipped cream, cinnamon dolce whipped cream, apple chai whipped cream etc.  Are you catching my drift?  You can add sprinkles, vanilla, cocoa powder—have fun with it!

In any baking recipe, if you’re not experienced, follow the recipe to the best of your ability.  If you’re more experienced, you’ll learn over time what you can and can’t do in following the recipe and be able to experiment and be more creative in the kitchen!  Enjoy!

* PS:  This one was a two person job….

-K