The best strawberry shortcake recipe

Making a fabulous strawberry shortcake is not hard. You just have to think fresh, wholesome ingredients.

Start with the freshest berries you can get your hands on. (I just picked these from our large patch out in the garden.) Clean them and let them sit in a bowl with a bit of sugar sprinkled on top. After they've gotten nice and juicy, mash them up.

While the berries are sitting, make the shortbread. Select a good, basic recipe. I like this classic one from Betty Crocker:

Sift together:
2 Cups flour
2 T sugar
3 t baking powder
1 t salt

Cut in 6 T unsalted butter

Stir in 2/3 to 3/4 whole milk

Bake for 12-15 minutes at 450 degrees.

While the shortbread is cooling a bit, make the whipped cream. Beat heavy whipping cream until it's a nice whipped consistency, add a bit of sugar and whip it just a few seconds more. (Be sure not to overbeat, as it will turn into butter!) I know many people are tempted to head straight for the Cool Whip, but it's loaded with hydrogenated vegetable oil and high fructose corn syrup. (These are manufactured substances that our bodies are just not made to process, substances implicated in heart disease, diabetes, allergies, wrinkles, joint problems... Ugh!) Besides, real whipped cream isn't hard at all to make and it's absolutely heavenly.

Enjoy!
Florette

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