Nosh: Strawberries Mean Love Shortcake
Here we go, folks. The weather is getting warmer and here we are, stuck in the endless cycle of staying home and...staying home... as we move deeper into our COVID spring. So what do we do with all this idle time on our hands? It's times like this that the term "comfort food" was invented. Because that's what it is, right? Comfort food is soothing AF, gives you an inner hug, and then (if you're like me) lingers on your hips for the rest of time to let you know it will always be there for you. And it changes with the season, right? Winter comfort food is mashed potatoes, or mac & cheese. But in the summer, it's things like corn on the cob slathered in butter. Or, strawberry shortcake. I remember the first time my mother put a strawberry shortcake in front of me. I was probably eight or so, and suddenly there was this huge frothy mound of berries and cake and whipped cream... what could possibly ever be wrong? Nothing, friends. The answer is nothing. But then I grew up. When we buy the ticket to the nostalgia bus we silently acknowledge that childhood loves will fade into sepia-toned memories, and that nothing can stand up to the memory of things past. Ahhh, how winsome and precious, and to think, we'll never have these things again...Only, wrong! Not only can you continue to have strawberry shortcake, but you're an adult now. You can make it even better, and just in time for Memorial Day weekend! This recipe is super-simple. It's so simple I won't even write out an actual "here, print this" recipe, because I'm trusting that you can read a few lines of copy and remember them.
What you need is:
1 quart strawberries
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup vanilla vodka/peach schnapps/Grand Marnier/fruity booze of your choice OR, if you're not a drinker, balsamic vinegar
Just a few grinds of black pepper, because I put black pepper on everything and think it brings out the floral qualities of the other ingredients~
~~AND~~~2 Tablespoons rose petals
Yes, folks. Rose petals are totally edible, just find a reliable source (here, I recommend organic) and if you pick them yourself, make sure they haven't been sprayed with pesticides. Which are not totally edible. Mix all of those ingredients together, and let the strawberries macerate for about an hour.If you're making your own whipped cream, then use a metal bowl to whip the cream in, and put that bowl in the fridge for at least a half an hour before you start the whip. The cold bowl will help the cream whip more easily; I've even seen folks refrigerate the beaters they're going to whip the cream with. I've not gone that far but what the heck, it can't hurt.
You'll need:
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla (or to taste; I tend to OD on vanilla so I have to be careful)
Whip that vanilla until stiff peaks form. Use a mixer if you have one. You can whisk it by hand, too, if you need the workout, but it will take longer and your arm will hate you for it. As for the cake part...do what you want. Make a vanilla sponge. Buy those pre-made angel food cups like my mom used to get. Make biscuits. You do you. Then put it all together. Split your biscuit/cake/sponge. Layer some strawberries on the bottom half of the cake, so the juices from the maceration soak into the cake. Top with an enormous dollop of whipped cream. Enormous. Don't apologize about how much whipped cream is on there. Just add more. Put the top of the biscuit/sponge/cake on the enormous whipped cream pile.Layer on some more strawberries, and then some more whipped cream. Et voila! This fun, boozy spring-to-summer treat is worth all 900,000 calories and will trounce all memories of childhood shortcakes. It's grown up with the alcohol and a little bit more daring with the rose petals. If they freak you out too much, leave the petals out and if you're really not feeling it you can leave out the alcohol or vinegar. Don't skip macerating the strawberries in sugar, though, because that will pay off every time. Who says you can't go home again? Not only can you go home, but you can make it better than you remember. Enjoy! Also, bonus points if you get the album reference in the post's title. Hippie.