In The Kitchen: Could it be Spring? Early berries say yes

My dad says it’s so.

My brother Glen concurred.

And to prove that that cold snap didn’t completely kill Spring, they brought proof that the strawberries were starting to "come in." Glen already has some berries, which means that strawberry shortcake can’t be far behind.

My mother kept us in fresh strawberry shortcake when we were growing up. She made the cake from scratch, and always made several. She also made the pretty strawberry tablecloth and napkins I used in the accompanying photo.

It’s a sign on the times, I guess. For the past few years, I’ve been using a boxed cake mix for my strawberry dessert. I guess that makes this not officially Mother’s Strawberry Cake, but it is a nod to our busy lives.

And face it, a boxed Strawberry Shortcake is better than none at all!

Hint: To cut the cake in half, use thread. It makes a prettier cut.

Mother’s
Strawberry Shortcake

1 boxed cake mix, white or yellow
1 quart fresh strawberries
½ cup to 1 cup of sugar, depending on the sweetness of your berries
1 container of Cool Whip or other whipped topping

Bake cake according to directions on the box, using a 9 x 13 inch pan. Cool cake. Slice in half, length-wise. Set aside.

Cap and wash berries. Mash in a large bowl and add sugar to taste. Spoon berry mixture onto first layer, letting the "soupy" nature of it soak down into the cake. Place second layer on top. Spread top with Cool Whip and decorate with a few sliced berries.
Refrigerate.

Next week I will be featuring some recipes from the Junior Service League Cookbook. If you can’t wait, you can purchase a book at Bristol & Bragg jewelers or at Blount Today.