Berry Shortcake

A pre-summer dessert:  Berry Shortcake

You wouldn't really even know it was Spring here.  It really feels like an extension of winter.  Cold, snow, ice, rain.  This recipe has me longing for warm, lazy days.  I sliced up a carton of strawberries and tossed in a carton of blueberries. Out of season berries need to be sweetened up

 

Berry Very Simple Syrup

1c. Sugar

1c. Water

Grated Orange Peel

Grated lemon peel

juice of half orange

1 tsp. Vanilla

 

 Mix 1 cup of sugar with one cup of water and heat on medium heat.  Grate some orange peel and lemon peel.  Squeeze half of the orange's juice into the sugar/water mixture.  Simmer about 10-15 minutes until it becomes a syrup.  You can test it by dipping a spoon in it and letting it cool.  Remove it from the heat and add a teaspoon of good quality vanilla.  Once the mixture is cooled pour it over the berries.  (Timesaver:  Cool the mixture faster by putting it into the freezer)

Now for the shortcakes.  I thought it would be fun to make shortcake bowls.  I used the shortcake recipe on the bisquick box.  Instead of dropping them on a cookie sheet, I grabbed my jumbo muffin tin, flipped it over, greased it very well. Skip every other cup because they will puff up while cooking and add the dough.



Wait for them to cool about 5 minutes and carefully remove the shortcake cups.

 



I "whipped" up whip cream to top the shortcakes.

 

Whipped Cream Recipe

 

1 cup of heavy whipping cream





2 Tbl. of sugar

1 tsp. of vanilla

 

Combine all the above ingediants and whip with a mixer on medium until stiff peaks form.

 

Fill the shortcake bowls with fruit, top with whip cream, and enjoy!