Let us celebrate and honor Flag Day with this sweet, summertime sponge cake.
According to nationaldaycalendar.com, "Strawberry shortcake can be found as far back as 1588 in England. However, it wasn't until the 1800s strawberry shortcake made its way to the U.S. Eliza Leslie of Philadelphia receives credit for the first recipe for strawberry shortcake in her cookbook The Lady's Receipt-Book. Though she referred to them as "strawberry cakes," her recipe was used to popularize this delicious dessert in homes.
By the late 1850s, Americans began adding a strawberry sauce with slices of fresh strawberries to the top of their shortcakes. The dessert was a June favorite because many people would celebrate their strawberry harvest with strawberry shortcake parties. This tradition is still celebrated across the country today.
Today, strawberries are sliced, mixed with sugar then allowed to sit for about an hour until they have surrendered plenty of their juices. The shortcakes are then split, and the bottom is covered with a layer of the strawberries, juice and whipped cream. The top is then put back on, and more strawberries, juice and whipped cream are added to finish it off."
In honor of today, here are a few ways you can pay homage:
📍Visit a pick your own strawberry patch to make the day an adventure.
📍Enjoy some strawberry shortcake ice cream.
📍Try this recipe: SUMMER BERRY SHORTCAKES
INGREDIENTS
Shortcakes
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter, divided
2 pkg (8 oz or 235 g each) refrigerated crescent dough, divided
2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar, divided
1/2 cup (125 mL) sliced almonds
1 qt. fresh strawberries, hulled
Sauce
3 tbsp (45 mL) sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) cornstarch
3/4 cup (175 mL) water
1 lemon
1 cup (250 mL) fresh blueberries
Additional sliced lemons for garnish (optional)
Vanilla ice cream (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place butter into (1-cup/250-mL) Prep Bowl; microwave on HIGH 20-30 seconds or until melted. Unroll 1 package of the crescent dough onto Cutting Board; pinch perforations to seal. Brush dough with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the butter using Chef's Silicone Basting Brush; sprinkle with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the sugar. Roll dough into a log, starting at short end; set aside. Repeat with remaining package of dough, butter and sugar. (Do not roll up dough.) Place log crosswise onto second layer of dough. Roll dough up around log to form a thicker cylinder; seal seams.
Cut cylinder crosswise into 12 equal disks using Utility Knife. Coarsely chop almonds using Food Chopper. Dip top of each disk into almonds and place almond-side up onto Large Bar Pan. Bake 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately press centers of shortcakes with Mini-Tart Shaper to make 2-inch-wide (5-cm) wells; remove to Stackable Cooling Rack.
For sauce, combine sugar, cornstarch and water in (8-in./20-cm) Sauté Pan; stir until dissolved. Zest lemon using Microplane® Adjustable Fine Grater to measure 1 tsp (5 mL) zest. Juice lemon to measure 2 tbsp (30 mL) juice. Add zest, juice and blueberries to sugar mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat; simmer 4 minutes or until sauce develops a deep purple color, stirring occasionally.
To assemble shortcakes, cut strawberries into quarters and divide evenly among wells of shortcakes. Spoon about 2 tbsp (30 mL) blueberry sauce over each shortcake and garnish with lemon slices, if desired. Serve with ice cream, if desired.
Yield: 12 servings of 1 shortcake, excluding optional ingredients
Nutrients per serving:
Calories 230, Total Fat 12 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Carbohydrate 27 g, Protein 4 g, Sodium 280 mg, Fiber 2 g
Your Pampered Chef Cook's Tips:
For a no-bake version of this recipe, substitute one 16-oz pound cake, sliced into 12 slices, for the shortcakes. Increase cornstarch to 1 tbsp (15 mL) and prepare sauce as recipe directs in Classic Batter Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 2-3 minutes, stirring after every 30-second interval, until sauce develops a deep purple color. Proceed as recipe directs; sprinkle shortcakes with toasted almonds, if desired.
PREP BOWL: #KG69
CUTTING BOARD: #1012
CHEF’s SILICONE BASTING BRUSH:#1755
UTILITY KNIFE: #100842
FOOD CHOPPER: #2585
LARGE BAR PAN: #100384
STACKABLE COOLING RACK: #1588
SAUTE PAN: #100732
MICROPLANE FINE ADJUSTABLE GRATER: #100472
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ACTION STEP: Encrusted in almonds, these simple shortcakes provide the perfect base for fresh strawberries and a warm blueberry sauce, so invite your friends and family over and let me know in the comments how it turned out or kick your kitchen up a notch by booking your cooking show here:
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