The start of a sweet summer

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With the start of strawberry season here in Arkansas I am giddy to break out one of my most favorite purchases ever: my Williams Sonoma shortcake pan. I don’t think it’s available through them anymore….but you can find them all over the web. I bought mine ages ago with money saved up for weeks and weeks long before I ever lived on my own.

One of my most favorite recipes ever came with the pan: shortcakes. The little cakes are moist, lemon-y, and delicious- a perfect base for sweet strawberries.

For the strawberries:

I slice them up and place them in a glass bowl. Add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of sugar depending on how sweet you like ’em. {We like them SA-WEEET} Mix in juice of half a lemon and give a good stir. Cover and refrigerate. Let the strawberries macerate until they give up their juices….a couple of hours. The longer you let them sit…the sweeter they’ll be. Here I have about 8 cups of sliced strawberries, 3/4-1 cup of sugar, juice of half a lemon.

Right before serving I give them a little mashing…but just a little as I like to have some pretty slices left 🙂

For the shortcakes:

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

8 tbs butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

zest of one lemon

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla

2/3 cup milk

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Give a stir and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add sugar slowly and beat until blended. Increase speed and beat until light & fluffy 3-5 minutes. Beat in zest. Add eggs, one at a time until well blended. Scrap down sides of bowl as you go. Add vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with milk beginning and ending with flour until there are no lumps.

Pour batter into greased and floured shortcake pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes until golden. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely.