Sunday, May 3, 2009

SMS: Strawberry Shortcake



I’ll get to shortcake in a moment, but is anyone else excited about the movie “Julie and Julia?” I think it looks like a charming summer movie. The movie is merging Julie Powell’s Julie and Julia with Julia Child’s memoir, My Life in France. Although I read Julie’s book, I think it reads better as a blog, and you can find the Julie/Julia project here. As far as I know, Julie Powell was the first to “cook a book” and blog about it. Her book inspired me to buy a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which, sadly, I rarely use for fear of too much butter. My Life in France is a good read too, in regard to both cooking and the process of publishing a cookbook.



Okay, so on to Strawberry Shortcake, this week’s Sweet Melissa Sunday selection. You really can’t improve upon the combination of strawberries and whipped cream, so the component that made this recipe a winner was the shortcake. I had never made shortcake before, and when I have been served “strawberry shortcake,” it has more commonly been with a pound cake. I was pleased that this recipe produced a tender, sweet biscuit, with a nice sturdy crumb to hold the macerated berries and whipped cream. And not only is the shortcake delicious, it is amazingly quick and simple to put together. I made it on Friday night when I had a couple of other kitchen projects going, which isn’t always a great idea (not that it stops me), but this was a trouble-free and worthwhile endeavor.



Many thanks to Wendy of Pink Stripes for choosing such a great seasonal recipe. You can find the recipe on her site, not to mention loads of other great treats. Seriously, she makes impressive things like croissants and morning buns (which I have been trying to get up the nerve to attempt for weeks) and everything is always exquisitely presented. And if you would like to see what the other members of Sweet Melissa Sundays thought of these, you can via the SMS blogroll.

13 comments:

Unknown said...

I saw that trailer for the first time yesterday and was so excited about it!! I didn't know they were making a movie about those two books so it was a pleasant surprise.

Your shortcake looks fantastic! I really enjoyed this recipe. Can't wait to make it all summer with fresh berries!

Anonymous said...

Your shortcake looks great. I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for the wonderful things you said about my blog. I appreciate it.

I can't wait to see the movie too.

Stephanie said...

You're too funny - I always bake when I have a hundred cooking/kitchen projects going on - lord knows why, it only stresses me out more. I always figure "well the kitchens already a mess, might as well bake now while it's still messy" :) Your shortcakes look beautifully delicious!

Flourchild said...

Great looking shortcake! I will check the trailer out later when I have time.

Mermaid Sews said...

I had never made this either and loved it. Yours looks terrific.

Jaime said...

i grew up eating strawberry shortcake with Sara Lee pound cake and loved it :) these shortcakes are great too

Cristine said...

Your shortcake looks yummy!

I am excited for the movie! I read the book and it is what introduced me to the world of food blogs. :)

Jennifer said...

I'm looking forward to the movie and wish that all the food bloggers lived in my area so that we could all go together. It would make for a perfect food blogger meet and greet.

I really love strawberries, too, and usually make them with angel food cake, just to save a few calories, but the shortcake was really delicious.

PheMom said...

I haven't seen the trailer yet but it sounds interesting.

Your shortcake looks great!

Megan said...

I can't wait to see the movie - it looks like it's going to be great!

I did read My Life in France - and I remember it being a bit slow going. But I've always loved Julia Child, she was a master!

Lulu the Baker said...

Thanks for posting that trailer. We Tivo everything, and my sweet, gotta-love-him husband fast-forwards through every single commercial break! So I never see trailers anymore. Or go to the movies for that matter! :( Anyway, your shortcake looks lovely. Great job!

Elyse said...

I thought this was quick and simple, too!! I'm so glad we both enjoyed it. And I can't wait to see Julie and Julia either. Sounds like a great summer flick. Sorry my comments have been sporatic. I'm in the middle of law school exams right now, but I promise I'll be around often after they finish (right now, my google reader is very angry at me :) )

TeaLady said...

I am soooo excited. I loved the blog which I found after I read the book. And Meryl as Julia. Fantastic. I cannot wait. Thanks for the heads up...