Not Short on Taste Short Bread

What dessert screams summer more than strawberry short cake? And no we're not talking about the store-bought, overly sweet, dry cake topped with a practically jellied strawberry sauce - this is the real OG. We're going to tackle this titan of taste in two parts. (Don't you just love alliterations?)

Short Bread!

Ingredients:
1 lb of fresh strawberries
1/2 and 1/4 cup of sugar
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 cup butter or margarine
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

The Strawberries:
Wash and cut the strawberries into bite sized chunks. Add the 1/4 cup of sugar and the lemon juice and mix well making sure that the strawberries are evenly coated. If you don't have a lemon then any citrus fruit would work - orange, lime, even a splash of lemonade. Let sit in the fridge for at least 6 hours. This is kind of like cheese and wine; the longer it sits, the more delectable it becomes.

The Short Bread:
Cream together the butter/margarine and the sugar. For those who don't know, this means mashing them together until it's light and fluffy. If you wish to avoid fork-shaped dents and cramps in your hand feel free to use a mixer. Next work in the flour 1 cup at a time. Add the vanilla and the cinnamon to taste. On an ungreased, round glass plate (we actually used a pie pan but it was a little hard to get out) spread half the dough into an even slab like a huge cookie. Prick the dough into 16 even sections. Nuke for 4 minutes and 30 seconds on medium high and let sit for at least 5 minutes. Cut along the dotted line (hey, it's kindergarden all over again) and serve with the strawberry sauce and a dollop of your favorite whipped cream.

Strawberry Shortcake!

This recipe makes dense, decadent short bread. With the cinnamon in the dough it tastes kind of like a little scone but hey, that is totally fine with us. If you prefer a fluffier base for your strawberries then try adding 1/2 tsp of baking powder to the flour before you incorporate it into the butter/sugar combo. Also putting a spoonful of the strawberry sauce in your glass of lemonade makes for a refreshing twist on the classic summertime staple.

So until next time, friends, keep cooking and remember:

No kitchen, no problem!

-K&M