Simple, Perfect Strawberry Shortcake

I have a confession to make. I’ve been buying strawberries at the grocery store. I know, I know – they’re inevitably from California, and they spent a lot of time in a refrigerated truck to get here, costing more energy than they’re worth. But I walk into the market, and there they are, big and beautiful, and a dollar a pound, taking up an entire produce stand.

I waver briefly, my resolve to buy local and eat seasonal fighting to stay afloat under the onslaught of the strawberry tidal wave. And then, the little voice in my head says, “They’re already here, and if you don’t buy them, someone else will, and wouldn’t it be lovely to have strawberries with your yogurt this week?” And I sigh. And I cave in.

Come June, I’ve promised myself, I will buy and/or pick local strawberries by the bushel. I will freeze them, can them, and dry them until the cupboards are overflowing. And then, I will eat local strawberries all winter long, and I won’t find myself buying California strawberries in April again.

All guilt aside, I’ve enjoyed my renegade strawberries, but in no way as much as in Strawberry Shortcake. I made this loveliest of summer desserts for company a few weekends ago (the same weekend it snowed).  It’s an incredibly simple thing: some kind of biscuit or cake, strawberries, sugar, and whipped cream. (Yes, real whipped cream. I never use anything else. Buy it in the can if you must, but forego the Cool Whip. And in case you didn’t know, Cool Whip contains polymers. What’s a polymer? Well, to put it simply, it’s plastic. I know – nice stuff they put in our food, huh?)

I used buttermilk biscuits – but pound cake, angel food cake, or even unfrosted yellow cupcakes work well. What I avoid are the little pre-made, pre-packaged cakes they sell in the produce section of the market, the kind with the indentation in the top. Like anything else, they’re not as good as homemade. But they’re also the only real “work” involved. All the parts can be made ahead of time, and then assembly is quick and easy.

Strawberry Shortcake

4 biscuits or cupcakes, halved, or slices of pound cake or angel food cake
1 pound strawberries, hulled and quartered
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Wash, hull, and cut up the strawberries. In a medium bowl, toss them with the sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours – the berries and sugar will “work” together, producing a thin syrup. Meanwhile, using the whisk attachment of your mixer, beat the cream until stiff peaks form. Beat in the powdered sugar. If you’re not using immediately, cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, split the biscuits, cupcakes, or slices of cake on small plates. Ladle strawberries and syrup over all, and top with a dollop of whipped cream.

Serves four.