Strawberry Bavarian Cream Dessert

I believe recipes are successful when they stand the test of time. If you loved something as a kid and still love it just as much as an adult, it's something special. Growing up, there were two desserts I requested regularly for special occasions. One was my Nana's decadent Texas Bar Cake (a clue to my future, no?!), which I had for my birthday every year. I will definitely cover this recipe in a later post.

But today is the day for my Geema's Strawberry Bavarian Cream Dessert. This dish holds a special place in my heart because over the years Geema noticed how obsessed I was with it. She began making one for our family gatherings and an extra one just for me to have later. I don't think she ever served this as a dessert actually. It was always a side dish in the culinary days of Jello-everything. And our family always called it Strawberry Mold because, yes, it was poured into a decorative mold and served in all its jiggly glory. I didn't think our family's name for it would translate into an appetizing title for this post. But believe me when I tell you it's so tasty. My husband requests it for his birthday instead of cake. It's whipped to a light and airy consistency with a ton of strawberry flavor from the whole chunks of berry and berry juice. Some may think these types of recipes are dated. I call this one delicious.

Another interesting side note: I didn't get around to asking my Geema for her recipe until she was well into her 80's and her memory was failing her. She hand-wrote her recipe and gave it to me with our wedding gift. The first time I made it, it was a disaster. Her directions weren't clear and she had left out a few important details, but her memory of how much it meant to me endured. And that's what matters the most. Enjoy!

Strawberry Bavarian Cream Dessert

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 package (3 oz) strawberry jello
• 1 envelope Dream Whip, prepared (which includes milk and vanilla in package directions)

  

  Geema's recipe written with her signature green ink pen

Directions:

1. After strawberries have thawed, drain the berries and reserve the juice in a measuring cup. Roughly chop berries and set aside. 
2. In medium bowl, combine Jello and 1c boiling water. Mix until dissolved. 
3. In the strawberry juice measuring cup that you set aside, add cold water enough to measure 1c in all. Add to the Jello bowl and mix. Cover and refrigerate until almost set.
4. While Jello chills, prepare one envelope of Dream Whip. Follow package directions. Refrigerate until Jello is also ready. 
5. When Jello is almost set, in a standing mixer or hand mixer beat until Jello until foamy. Add roughly chopped strawberries and beat until combined.
6. Gently fold prepared Dream Whip into the strawberry mixture until fully combined. Pour into a decorative serving dish or individual serving pieces such as ramekins, parfait glasses, etc. Chill in the refrigerator until set. 
7. OR you can can go old-school and chill in a gelatin mold and invert onto a serving platter before serving. Go ahead, make my Geema proud. :)

*Can be served with a dollop of whipped cream on top, if desired.

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. :)