Strawberry Shortcake
shortcake filled and topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream
This is one of those recipes we’ll be putting in from time to time. It’s pretty naughty – all of that cream and sugar, not to mention the butter! But, believe me, it’s more than nice and well-worth the guilt trip. Afterwards, just go back on the No-diet Diet (Health07) and the Easy Everyday Exercises (Health10). It’s a piece of cake, really.
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
75g butter or margarine
75g granulated white sugar
1 beaten egg
milk
350-450g strawberries
60g caster sugar (for filling)
140 ml whipping cream
Grease a deep 20.5 cm sandwich tin. In a suitable bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt, then rub in the fat until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the granulated sugar. Add the egg a little at a time, stirring with a fork until the mixture binds together. You may need some milk, but avoid making it too sticky. Now, kneed lightly to make a smooth dough. Form this into a round and roll out on a floured board to the size of your tin. Press the dough evenly into it. Bake on 190°C (170°C fan-forced) for 20 minutes, or until golden. To test, press the centre lightly with a finger – if the indent doesn’t bounce back, it needs a bit longer. Set aside to cool.
Hull the strawberries, then wash and drain them. Keep 10-12 for decoration, and crush the rest in a bowl with a fork, then sprinkle with 40g caster sugar. Whisk the cream and fold in the rest of the sugar. Carefully split the cake and spread half the cream and all the crushed berries over the base. Put on the top, pile on the rest of the cream and decorate with halves of the remaining fruit.
Don’t Freeze!
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