Strawberry Shortcake
It’s hard out there for a vegetarian – in Texas, that is.
I recently returned from a weeklong trip to San Antonio for the women’s NCAA Final Four tournament, where we lost to UConn in the championship game. But as I’m not a huge sports fan, I’ll just stick to what I know – food.
It was quite the inauspicious start when, on the flight from San Jose, we were served sack lunches containing two sandwiches: roast beef and ham. Really, chartered service? You disappoint me. I tried going for the garnishes, first the sliced tomato and then the cheese, but sadly the latter was tainted with the flavor of animal flesh. And even though we stayed in a hotel right on the River Walk, which seemed to be quite the gastronomical hub, pickings were rather slim. While I probably could have ordered salad at all the restaurants we dined at, I’m not a rabbit; I need some variety here and there. Good thing I’m not vegan anymore. I’m fairly certain I ate more seafood while I was there than I have in the past six months.
I’d have to attribute the most memorable dining experience to Dicks, and not just because everything on the menu contained some kind of animal. You see, I initially thought it was somehow a branch of the fast food joint from my hometown, but no, the restaurant is so named because the servers are mean to you. Well not mean, per se, but just…dicks. Our server wasn’t actually that bad but the bouncer who carded everyone before they were seated was pretty douchey. Instead of stamping under-21-year-olds, he wrote and drew pictures on their hands. I got a large “19,” with one numeral per hand. In permanent marker. Vestiges still remain.
On a happier note, we returned to some nice Nor Cal sunshine, which inspired today’s recipe. It’s basically a giant scone made in a round cake pan, layered with strawberries and whipped cream. Yum.
Beth’s Very Berry Shortcake (credit to Birthday Cakes by Kathryn Kleinman):
For the shortcake:
- 2 C all purpose flour
- 4 t baking powder
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold
- 1 C heavy cream or milk
For the whipped cream:
- 2 C heavy cream
- 3 T sugar
- 1 t vanilla extract
- 2 pounds strawberries, sliced
Preheat oven to 400F. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Stir to blend. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Add the cream or milk all at once and stir to blend. Knead gently in the bowl for less than a minute to form a soft dough. Divide dough in half and lightly press into cake pans.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before removing to wire racks.
Toss berries with sugar so that syrup forms. Arrange half the berries over the bottom layer. Place second shortcake layer on top.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the whipped cream and beat until soft peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream over the shortcake. Garnish with remaining berries.
