Strawberry Vanilla Shortcut Food

SHORTCUT STRAWBERRY-VANILLA DESSERT

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine strawberries and sugar; let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in 1 cup whipped topping; set aside., Cut cake into 14 slices. Layer seven cake slices with 2 tablespoons strawberries, 1/3 cup pudding mixture and another cake slice. Top with remaining strawberries and whipped topping.

CLASSIC STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and work it into the flour, using your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the butter pieces are the size of small peas.
• Whisk together 1/3 cup of the cream with the egg and 1/3 cup water in a small bowl. Add to the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a stiff batter forms. Drop 6 mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each biscuit. Brush with a bit of cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet.
• While the biscuits bake and cool, combine the honey with 1/3 cup water and a pinch of salt in a small saucepot. Gently simmer, stirring, over medium heat until the honey is dissolved and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Cool, and then toss in a medium bowl with the strawberries and mint. If time allows, set aside for at least 30 minutes to allow the strawberries to release their juices.
• To assemble, whip the remaining 1 cup cream with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar to soft peaks in a medium bowl. Split each biscuit and place the bottom half on a plate. Top evenly with the berries and accumulated juices and then the whipped cream. Place the top of the biscuit on the shortcake and garnish with fresh mint.

STRAWBERRY VANILLA SHORTCUT

Steps:

• Toss berries with sugar; let stand 10 min. or until sugar is dissolved. Meanwhile, cut each cake slice diagonally in half; place 1 cake piece on each of 12 dessert plates.
• Beat pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1/2 the COOL WHIP.
• Spoon 2 Tbsp. berries over each cake piece on plate. Top with pudding mixture and remaining cake pieces, berries and COOL WHIP.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCUT CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan, line it with parchment paper, butter the paper, and dust the pan lightly with flour.
• Whisk the flour with the granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Lightly whisk in the butter, egg, milk, and vanilla, just until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn it out of the pan, flip upright, and cool completely on the rack.
• For the strawberries and cream: Set aside 1 pint of the best-looking whole berries for topping the cake. Hull and thinly slice the rest of the berries and toss with the granulated sugar. Set aside. Whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla to soft peaks. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• To assemble the cake: Cut the cake in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Place the bottom layer cut side up on a cake stand or serving plate. Drizzle the juices from the sliced berries over the cut sides of both halves. Fold a couple tablespoons of the whipped cream into the sliced berries and spread over the bottom layer. Top with the other piece of cake, cut side down. Spread the remaining whipped cream on the top of the cake and top the cake with the whole berries.
• Know-How: Cutting a cake into layers is easy as saw-spin-separate: Begin to saw the cake in half horizontally. Just before you reach the middle of the cake, give it a quarter turn. Continue to saw almost to the center, then give it another quarter turn and saw again until you reach your original point of entry. Saw completely through the cake's center and separate the layers.
• Copyright (c) 2004 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.

STRAWBERRY VANILLA SHORTCUT (EASY)

Steps:

• Cut each cake slice diagonally in half to form 2 triangles; place 1 cake piece on each of 12 dessert plates.
• Pour milk into large bowl; add dry pudding mix and beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended.
• Stir in regular Cool Whip.
• Place a layer of strawberries over each cake piece; top with 1/2 cup of the pudding mixture and a second cake piece.
• Top second cake pieces evenly with remaining strawberries.
• Top with strawberry Cool Whip.
• Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Follow cake directions as written on cake mix box.
• Remove from oven and cool cake completely. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine strawberries, cognac and sugar. Let macerate 20 minutes. Invert and release cake onto a decorative platter.
• Whip cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla at medium-high speed until it reaches stiff peaks. Do not over whip.
• Mix gelatin as directed on box. Refrigerate gelatin mix but do not let it harden, it should cool to a liquid consistency.
• Using a straw, poke holes all over the cake. Pour gelatin into holes and spread over the top of the cake.
• Spread layer of macerated strawberries on top of cake. Spread layer of whipped cream on top of the strawberries, making pretty swirls and ripples. Garnish with fresh strawberries. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Follow cake directions as written on cake mix box.
• Grease & flour 9 X 13 cake pan.
• Bake cake according to directions.
• Remove from oven and cool cake completely.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine strawberries, cognac and sugar.
• Let macerate 20 minutes.
• Invert and release cake onto a decorative platter.
• Whip cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla at medium - high speed until it reaches stiff peaks. Do not over whip.
• Mix gelatin as directed on box.
• Refrigerate gelatin mix but do not let it harden, it should cool to a liquid consistency.
• Use a straw, poke holes all over the cake.
• Pour gelatin into holes and spread over the top of the cake.
• Spread layer of macerated strawberries on top of cake.
• Spread layer of whipped cream on top of the strawberries, making pretty swirls and ripples.
• Garnish with fresh strawberries.
• Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCUT CAKE

Steps:

• NOTE: If you use self-rising flour, omit the baking powder and salt. (I use self-rising flour all the time now so I don't have to add the other ingredients in all-purpose flour except when I make bread.) For high altitude adjustment, decrease baking powder to 2 1/2 teaspoons.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Completely thaw strawberries. Generously grease bottom only of a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. (I used cooking spray.) Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over bottom of pan. Thoroughly combine thawed berries with dry gelatin. Set aside. (No need to sift flour; measure by lightly spooning into cup and leveling off.) In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed, scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally. (It's very important to beat for the 3 minutes.) Pour batter evenly over marshmallows. (I used a large spoon instead of pouring.) Spoon strawberry mixture evenly over batter. During baking, the strawberry mixture sinks to the bottom and the cake is on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or cool with ice cream or whipped cream.