recipe: summer strawberry shortcake

one of the best things about summer is that it's strawberry season, and if i could only eat one dessert for the rest of my life it'd definitely be strawberry shortcake. my old standby recipe is from betty crocker and it couldn't be easier or more delicious...and YES, i used bisquick. like i've said before, i'm one classy broad (meanwhile, my chef friend andrea is screaming at me in horror through the computer...i should be ashamed).

shortcake ingredients

• 2 pints strawberries (4 cups), sliced
• 2 1/3 cup original bisquick mix
• 1/2 cup milk
  
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (i added this to the recipe for a little extra sweetness)
  

whipped cream ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp granulated or powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
  

instructions

step 1: preheat oven to 425 degrees. clean and slice strawberries into bite-sized pieces. put in the fridge to keep chilled.



step 2: in medium bowl, mix bisquick, milk, sugar, butter and vanilla until soft dough forms. drop dough by six spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.


step 3: bake 10-12 minutes until just browned on the tops. don't overbake or the shortcake will be extra crumbly.



step 4: in a chilled medium bowl, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. always start with cream right from the fridge, and chill your bowl and beaters in the freezer or fridge for 10-20 minutes or until cold to the touch. if you don't have time to chill the bowl and beaters, the cream will still whip but it may take longer.

step 5: split the shortcakes, add whipped cream and a layer of strawberries to bottom half. place the top of the shortcake back on, add whipped cream and another layer of strawberries. no need to be neat about it. i say the messier the better.

oh, it's even better with a couple of blueberries thrown on top too. any fruit will do, really!

so. good.

what's your favorite dessert?