Fields Of Heather: Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Shortcake Recipes
[printable page from my personal cookbook at the bottom of this post]

Come early June, when the strawberries are in season in Central Pennsylvania, it's not terribly unusual for strawberry shortcake to be served for dinner. Not as a dessert, but as dinner. Here on the farm, it's a traditional biscuit style cake - somewhat dry and crumbly. You break it up into pieces, top it with strawberries that have been sliced or mashed and left to sit in a little extra sugar, so they are good and juicy. Then most add milk, almost as if this were a cereal, and top with whipped cream. I personally skip the milk, just topping my cake with the berries and some whipped cream.

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For All The Recipes

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes for an 8x8 pan, 40 minutes for 9x11[double batch]

Use about 1/3 to half a cup of sugar on 1 Qt of mashed or sliced strawberries, let sit while the cake bakes. Top with whipped cream and or milk.

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From the recipe drawer - but not a recipe I use personally

There's a drawer in my kitchen that has several generations worth of family recipes in it. The recipes came with the house when we moved in. In that drawer is a shortcake recipe, using oil. It's not a recipe I use personally. I also have old recipes that use eggs, and sour cream. To me, that makes no sense - once you add eggs, or sour cream, it is no longer shortcake - just cake. But that's just my opinion. Well, and my husbands - he has very definite preferences when it comes to his shortcake. :-)

Here's a comparison - our favorite on the left, it has more of a scone texture. The one on the right is the recipe I posted above, that uses oil. The oil makes more of a soft, sponge type cake.

My Favorite Shortcake Recipe:

· 2 1/3 Cups Bisquick Mix

· ½ cup milk

· 3 TBS sugar

· 3 TBS butter, melted
This is my go to, favorite, shortcake recipe. It makes one pie pan, or 8x8 pan. Double it for a 9x11 pan.

I make my own “Bisquick” Mix:

· 6c flour

· 1c shortening

· 3Tbs Baking Powder

· 1tsp salt

Mix thoroughly in food processor, store in fridge or freezer. [I keep a tub of this in my freezer]

To make this version without the Bisquick:

· 2 cups flour

· 3 Tbs sugar

· 1/2 cup butter

· [OR 1/3 c shortening + 3Tbs Butter]

· 2 tsp baking powder

· 1 tsp salt

· 3/4 cup milk

Cut flour, sugar and butter together until mixture looks like coarse crumbs, then mix in the rest of the ingredients