Slightly sweet biscuits, syrupy strawberries, and fresh whipped cream….does it get any better?! For me, a strawberry shortcake is typically a summer dessert, but our local grocery store had strawberries on sale this week, and I couldn’t resist buying them. This simple little dessert brought a little bit of summer into our house and lifted our spirits this week. This is a comforting dessert that is just right for a casual treat to eaten on the couch in your pj’s, or a dessert you can feel good serving to company. Plus, it is SO simple! Say goodbye to the pre-packaged sponge cake discs (that have likely been on the shelf for years…) These yummy little shortcakes take about five minutes to mix up (if that!) Here we go!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups flour

3-4 heaping T sugar (*Use 3 if you prefer your shortcakes to be less sweet, and 4 if you like a sweeter bite!)

3 t baking powder (*Make sure your baking powder is fresh! It is easy to forget that things like baking powder expire, and expired baking powder can change the outcome of your dish!)

1 t salt

3/4 cup milk

strawberries (with sugar to taste)

whipped cream

sprinkle or 2 or 3 of cinnamon (*This is the real trick ladies…This is the little ingredient that will set your cakes apart and make your guests go hmmm…SOO good!)

Add all of your dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender, until the crumbs are pea-sized. Stir in the milk until the dough is sticky. (It WILL be soft! This will not make a stiff dough! Don’t add more flour!)

You have a choice…You can take the time to roll out the dough (on a generously floured surface!) and use a biscuit cutter to cut them out. OR, you can use a cookie scoop and quickly make drop biscuits. It really depends on the look you are going for. If you like the perfectly circular biscuits that make for pretty layering, use the biscuit cutter. If you are okay with more free-form, home-spun looking biscuits, go ahead and use the drop method.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for about 9 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the tops are just slightly golden.

While the biscuits are baking, slice up your strawberries. I like to add a sprinkling of sugar on top to create a nice strawberry syrup. The longer the berries sit, the more syrupy they will become.

You can use any type of whipped topping that you prefer. If you are using home-made, simply beat whipped cream with some white sugar and a t of vanilla extract. (We used Cool Whip.)

To serve, cut your biscuits in half, and fill the middle with the sliced strawberries. Top with whipped cream. You can again be very fancy in your presentation, or keep it simple. Either way, this tastes SO good and will bring a little summer smile to your face. Enjoy!