SPRING IN JERSEY - STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE SHORTCAKE

SPRING IN JERSEY - STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE SHORTCAKE  

I love strawberry time of year here in Jersey because the temperatures are so nice on most days, and it hasn't gotten very humid yet. Not too hot, mostly sunny days, and the evenings are just beautiful. Great porch rocking weather. 

Spring always brings back great childhood memories. I can remember playing outside as a child, this time of the year, on the front lawn with my siblings, usually catching lightning bugs and turning their tails into rings on our fingers, storing them in jars, or doing the hokey pokey, while my mom and dad sat on the steps watching us play. Such great memories. 

Strawberries are the first fruits to ripen each spring in New Jersey. The best way to buy them is in season and local. If berries come from far away, they have to be picked before they are ripe, which means less flavor. Look for bright red color, as color is more important than size. If there is white around the stem, that means it was picked before being fully ripe. The best way to store them is in a paper bag, in the refrigerator, but not for long after they have been picked. 

 I haven't picked a lot of strawberries, but I sure have eaten a lot of them. And one of my favorite ways to eat them, of course is in the beloved strawberry shortcake. A lot of people today, probably because of lack of time, buy those packaged little cakes, then cut up some strawberries, throw them on, and then pile on whipped cream. But believe me, that is no way to make or eat strawberry shortcake. My absolute favorite type of strawberry shortcake, is the drier kind, that really soaks up that luscious strawberry syrup that you get after cutting up those beauties, and putting on some sugar, and then letting them set while they make their own syrup. I guarantee once you try this Strawberry Shortcake, you will never want those little store bought cakes again. This cake is beautiful and oh so delicious!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Shortcake: 

You will need: 3 cups of original Bisquick baking mix - 1 cup of sugar - 1/4 cup of butter, softened - 1 cup of Organic Valley whole milk (or any whole milk, this is just my preference)  - 2 teaspoons of McCormick (my preference for brand) pure vanilla extract - 2 eggs - all at room temperature. Topping: 1 cup of Organic Valley heavy cream - 1 (8 oz.) package of Philadelphia cream cheese, regular (not light) softened - 1/3 cup of powdered sugar - 1 teaspoon of McCormick pure vanilla extract - 6 cups of fresh strawberries, sliced, and added sugar to them

Directions: Heat oven to 350* degrees. Grease bottom and sides of a 13x9x2 " pan, and then lightly flour. In a large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until pick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. In chilled small bowl, beat whipping cream on high speed until soft peaks form; set aside. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla on medium speed until well blended. Fold in whipped cream. Frost top of cake with whipped cream mixture. Cut into squares and top each serving with strawberries. Makes 15 servings.