Strawberry Shortcake

Get some fresh, healthy berries into your desserts with this beautiful Seasonal Strawberry Shortcake, contributed by former Slow Food DC Board Member Shelu Patel.

INGREDIENTS

Strawberries and Cream Ingredients:

2 cups ripe strawberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 handful of chopped fresh mint leaves

1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier

1 cup heavy cream

Cake Ingredients:

1/4 cup of finely chopped nuts (hazelnuts, almond, pecans or black walnuts, but choose a single nut type)

1/2 cup unsalted or sweet butter

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
(you can be creative with the type of flour)

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

DIRECTIONS

Prepare your strawberries by removing the green hats and slice the strawberries into a large glass mixing bowl.

Mash the strawberries lightly using the back of a large spoon.

In the bowl with strawberries sprinkle sugar and add the Grand Mariner, chopped mint and cream. Lightly mix by gently folding.

Cover bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a baking pan with a piece of parchment paper.

Whisk the eggs until pale yellow in large mixing bowl. Add nuts, butter, sugar, flour, baking powder to the whisked egg bowls. Mix lightly until the ingredients form a ball.

Add the ball to the baking pan on top of the parchment paper. Gently pat the ball semi-flat on the parchment paper.

Bake for 20-24 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool before halving the cake horizontally.

Add strawberries and cream to the cake bottom-half and place the remaining cake top-half back on the dessert. 

Enjoy your spring strawberry shortcake!