Oh my friends, it has been a week. I have had this post partially drafted since Monday but my week apparently had other plans. This morning I published it and the recipe disappeared. AAAHHH! Gosh darn it, I was determined to get this to you before the weekend! Spring strawberries are starting to arrive and thus, a killer strawberry shortcake recipe is a necessity.
Strawberry shortcake was one of the first things I learned to bake back in the earliest days of my kitchen endeavors. I quickly learned that it is one of the simplest and fastest desserts out there. Fruit shortcake became and still is my go-to dessert in last minute entertaining scenarios. It uses ingredients I almost always have on hand (basic pantry staples, fruit of some kind, and heavy cream for whipping), comes together rapidly and requires relatively minimal effort. While the berries or fruit macerate with a bit of sugar, the shortcakes bake. Homemade whipped cream is the best finishing touch and made in literally seconds with my dear love, the immersion blender (I use the whisk attachment.)
This is a perfect example of a situation where simple really is best. Nothing fancy here and yet, we have a perfect seasonal dessert that is at the same time light, fresh, satisfying, and nostalgic. A far cry from the premade version found in grocery store end-caps everywhere, that’s for sure, and well worth the small effort required.