EPTStrawberry Shortcake
Introduction
What is a Shortcake?
As it turns out, a shortcake is a kind of crumbly, biscuit-like object that tastes like a cross between a buttermilk biscuit and a cornbread muffin. It tastes nothing like a cake. You might even say that the cake is a lie. The shortcake tastes even less like a cake than banana bread, and banana bread, well, it calls itself a bread! Jesus fucking Christ on a stick.
But enough of this rant. You might be thinking that every food blogger and their mother has probably done a strawberry shortcake blog. What do I have left to offer you? Merely a small, humble twist to the classic strawberry shortcake. Involving bananas and honey. Read on!
*And according to most people in this thread, we're all idiots who deserve it for not investigating further on our own time.
Ingredients
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/FdOx0.jpg)
Were you looking for an ingredient spread? Please fill out form 56-b and my lawyers will be in contact with you within 3-7 business days.
Total Time: ~35 minutes
Yields 5-6 shortcakes; recipe can be multiplied as needed.
Macerated strawberries:
3/4 lb fresh strawberries, cleaned and thinly sliced
3-9 tbsp white granulated sugar, depending on berry sweetness
Whipped cream:
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp white granulated sugar*
3-4 drops vanilla extract
Shortcake:
1 + 3/8 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp honey**
1/2 medium banana, mashed***
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup whipping cream
You will also need: 1 muffin mold
o not attempt to use honey in whipped cream. The flavor of honey will completely overpower anything else you put into the cream.**You can also use sugar if you do not have honey here. The honey merely adds an extra something in flavor.
***1/2 medium banana per 1.25 cups of flour, do NOT add any more than this unless you want some kind of bastardized banana bread.
Construction
Begin with the fruit. Get rid of the green leaves on the berries and lop off the tops if need be. Thinly slice the berries. If you have some particularly large berries, you should cut them in half across the width before slicing. Taste the berries for sweetness, then add anywhere from 3 to 9 tablespoons of sugar depending on how sweet your berries are. Toss the berries and refrigerate for now.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/hIiu5.jpg)
Have you noticed your girlfriend never asks you if you think she looks fat while holding a strawberry shortcake, or maybe a large pot roast?
Obtain two containers. In one container, mash half a banana with a spoon until it is a pulpy mess. It may be helpful to first cut up the banana into smaller pieces.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/9ZosC.jpg)
Alternatively, feed banana to a baby, then shake baby violently until the banana is vomited back up, ready for use. Be prepared to run from the law.
In the second container, measure out flour and add all the wet and dry shortcake ingredients together. Add the mashed bananas and then mix just enough to combine. Do not over-mix! The less you mix, the better your shortcake will turn out.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/0mFLe.jpg)
A land of milk and honey isn't actually ideal since there's no way to get your dietary fiber. You'll be constipated all the time.
Pre-heat your oven to 350F (175C). Butter your muffin mold and divide the dough evenly between 5-6 molds. The dough will be sticky, but do not worry too much if your batter is not beautifully even.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/vyg7g.jpg)
Is it dough or is it batter? I dough not know either, but it doesn't really batter.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Most shortcake recipes give a baking time of 18-20 minutes, but the added moisture in the banana lengthens the baking time.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/llAIB.jpg)
They look a bit like pufferfish that smell nice and won't kill you with a neurotoxin when you eat them.
Leave your finished cakes to rest for at least five minutes. Meanwhile. you can whisk your cream. I highly recommend using an electric mixer (which is ironic, since I whisked mine by hand. Whip the cream until it is nice and thick before adding sugar and vanilla extract.
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/hTwxa.jpg)
Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it. No one wants to be defeated by a bowl of whipped cream.
When you are ready to serve, cut each shortcake in half. Place the bottom part on a plate. Heap a generous mound of macerated strawberries on top, then a dollop of whipped cream. Top with the second part of the shortcake. Do not be afraid to let it all overflow! The shortcake is not meant to be eaten as a neat sandwich.
Alternate serving method: take a clean transparent glass and wipe down the insides for moisture. Cut your shortcake into bite-sized pieces. Place one layer of shortcake on the bottom of the glass. Then a layer of cream, a layer of strawberries, another layer of shortcake, another layer of cream, and top off with a final layer of strawberries. Garnish with a mint sprig and serve.
The Result
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/TZEYM.jpg)
I dub it the "strawberry-banana shortmuffin-biscuit conglomeration". Rolls right off the tongue.
4.5 / 5 I won't lie. I personally still think yellow cake or pound cake or some type of cake fits the dessert better than shortcake. The texture of shortcake just clashes with strawberries and cream. But if you want strawberry shortcake, REAL strawberry shortcake, that's what this is (plus an extra hint of honey/banana aroma from the shortcake).
Conclusion
Anyhow. This is the end of yet another blog entry, and this one took far, far less time to assemble than the three-day monstrosity that was the previous entry. Strawberry shortcake is a very fast dessert that you can whip up very quickly. If you are very, very lazy, you can even directly substitute store-bought buttermilk biscuits for the shortcake. Top with cool whip and sliced strawberries for a two-minute dessert.
Questions and comments are welcome as always. And as always, all previous Hasu Cook blog entries plus all entries of my other blog series The Ghetto Cook can be found consolidated on my main blog,
http://foodinmind.wordpress.com
Until next time, second-guess and investigate everything you see lest someone on the internet calls you a fool!
![[image loading]](https://p.twimg.com/AroGVE3CQAEpNF8.jpg)
