Mom's Strawberry Shortcake

I grew up in Pennsylvania where summers were the most anticipated time of the year for me. I had a neighbor who gave my siblings and me free reign of both her property and the raspberries on her bushes. I remember eating them in the warm sun until my stomach ached. Other summer food memories that make me more nostalgic than most anything else are corn on the cob bought from road-side stands, home-grown tomatoes, and strawberry shortcake made with locally grown berries. 

Guys, my family was serious about strawberry shortcake. When my mom made it, it was never, ever dessert. It was strawberry shortcake for dinner those nights, and we could eat it until we were stuffed! Geez, I'm smiling into the empty room here as I type just remembering it. 

My mom used Bisquick to make her shortcakes, like her mother and mother-in-law before her. But don't try looking on the side of the box for this recipe, because a long time ago my Nana tweaked it to be even better. That's the recipe I'll be using here. So even though the tweaked recipe came from my Nana, the first images that I remember when thinking of this dish are bursting through the back screen door of the house I grew up in, smelling the shortcakes baking, and seeing my mom mashing up strawberries with a potato masher. Pure childhood excitement, seriously. Enjoy!

Mom's Strawberry Shortcake

makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

For the berries-

• 4 quarts strawberries, hulled and rinsed (I tend to use way more because I like to drown my shortcake, but that's just me)
• Sugar, to taste (the amount varies wildly depending on the sweetness of the berries)

For the shortcake-

• 2 1/3 c Bisquick mix
• 3 T sugar
• 3/4 c milk
• 3 T vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Place cleaned and hulled berries in a large bowl and sprinkle with some sugar. Using a potato masher, smash the berries until juices release and you obtain desired consistency. I always like it pretty soupy and mashed up. Mix in more sugar to taste. Refrigerate covered.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8 inch pie pan by greasing with shortening or spraying lightly with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine Bisquick and sugar. Whisk until combined. Add milk and oil and stir until a soft, sticky dough forms.

   

   This batter is so easy, my 5 year old made it :)

   Pour into the pie pan and spread the dough with a spatula to the edges of the pan.
4. Bake for about 30 minutes or until edges are turning golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only a few crumbs.
   
5. For serving- Cut cake into wedges and spoon as much strawberry on top as desired. Top with whipped cream (which I would have done if I had some on hand that day!). In my family, some of us even like to eat it in a bowl with a little milk poured on top. :)