Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe


I would hate to have to admit how many times in my adult life I've started and then stopped counting calories. So over the course of many years, I've had little notebooks with the first several (or first few, or maybe just one) page(s) filled with a food journal...until the inevitable occurred- I got sick and tired of it. The 'sick and tired of it' phase seems to come sooner and sooner as I get older.

Well, for the past several months (mostly during the long Wisconsin winter) I've not done that. No little notebook. No jotting down what I eat. No obsession with calories. I am no longer a slave to the food journal. I've gained freedom at last...

...and five additional pounds to go with it.

How did this happen???

As they say in Weight Watchers, so others tell me, it had to do with portion control.

Take this strawberry shortcake, for example. I made delicious shortcakes, picked those wee little succulent strawberries, warm from the garden, and made a scrumptious dessert. I wanted to make sure I wouldn't get too full from supper to have my dessert, so yes, I ate my dessert first. I mean, it WAS the first strawberry shortcake I've had in years. And every bite was an amazing treat to my tastebuds! Amazing!

Because I didn't have any milk in the house, but had Half'n'Half, I used that in the recipe instead.

When I had finished eating my dessert, I decided, just for fun, to add up all the calories in the ingredients that went into making it, then dividing by 6 (for that's what I had eaten.) My daughter once told me to never look at the calorie content after eating something, cuz it's just depressing. I should have taken her advice.

It was almost 400 calories for that one piece of dessert! FOUR HUNDRED. Was it worth it? Well, maybe, yeah, but I decided that next time I'll wait until I have skim milk in the house AND I'll make 10 biscuits with the amount of dough, rather than only 6. That will take the calories down to 277 per serving. Isn't that better!

Of course one could always just eat the strawberries, which hardly have any calories at all, but at least once per summer, I'm going to eat a real shortcake with its delicious crunchy exterior and tender interior, where the juice from the strawberries soaks into the biscuit...

I can do without the whipped cream, but to serve company, I might have made whipped cream also.

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe:


(Makes 10, reluctantly)

1 Qt. fresh, ripe strawberries
1/4 c. sugar

Biscuit:
2 1/4 c. flour
2 T. sugar
1/3 c. shortening
1 egg
2/3 c. skim milk (or maybe whole milk)

Wash and remove stems from strawberries, and slice. Mix in the 1/4 c. sugar. (Don't even bother to talk to me about fake sugar.) Set aside while baking biscuits.

Mix flour and sugar. Cut in shortening (a necessary ingredient, but did you know that it has 120 calories PER TABLESPOON???) until crumbs are very fine.  Make a well in the center of the crumbs and pour in 1 beaten egg mixed with 2/3 c. skim milk. Mix with a fork just until mixed. Don't overmix. It will make the biscuit tough.

Divide into 10 equal parts and drop onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 425 degrees F. (220 C.) for 12 minutes (in my oven.) I'd suggest checking them after 10 minutes. The outside should be firm to the touch and crisp with golden peaks. Let cool a couple minutes on pans, then remove to a plate, split open the biscuit, and fill with sliced strawberries. Spoon additional berries on top.

You'll thank me.

Nutrition: 1 serving, includes the strawberries: 277 calories
I know there are antioxidants in the strawberries, so the biscuit is mostly a delicious strawberry holder.



The biscuits are a lot like scones


Even the memory of it...sigh!


And tonight there's a basket of ripe peaches on my kitchen counter.
Now I'm thinking about warm, homemade peach pie.  
Just one little piece...
Mmmmm.

P.S. Happy Birthday, Son #1






Photobucket

23 comments:

Angela said...

We'll have to make some when I'm up there! :D

Unknown said...

One of my favorite desserts that my mom made when I was a kid was strawberry shortcake! Yours looks so much like hers... makes me wish I could make these right now just to bring back those memories!
Oh, and counting calories in desserts is always depressing...and it's the only reason I get up and run every morning!! lol

Happy birthday to your son!!

Joyce said...

Oh my! One of my favorites! I'm sick of thinking about calories, cholesterol, trans fat, sat fat, fat fat, sodium, sugar and blah blah blah too!

Empty Nester said...

Was it worth it? What a SILLY question- of course it was worth it! Strawberry shortcake is ALWAYS worth it! LOL

Happy birthday to your son!

Anonymous said...

Mmmmm, my Mom used to make Strawberry shortcake in the summers when my Grandparents strawberries were in season. I have to agree strawberry shortcake is worth it!
Michelle A-Tisket A-Tasket

BreAna {Sugar and Spice and All Things Iced} said...

I'm a new fan and I'm excited to follow your posts!!

Yum!! I have strawberries in my fridge that are dying to be made into a shortcake. That was one of the first things I thought about this morning when I opened the fridge...then I read your post. Definitely going to need to make some now.

I don't like counting calories either...but I completely recommend SparkPeople.com for its nutrition tracker if you decide to change your mind (They also have a recipe nutrition calculator.)

Heide at ApronHistory said...

This year I was into fresh strawberries (mashed with a little sugar) over vanilla ice cream in a waffle cone. Yum! I don't even want to know how many calories that is!
.....it was homemade ice cream too.....

Those first strawberries of the season are sooooo good!

Ma What's 4 dinner said...

Absolutely my favorite dessert ever!!!!! YUM!!! Happy bday son #1. That makes me laugh for some reason.

Lots of yummy love,
Alex aka Ma What's For Dinner
www.mawhats4dinner.com

Judy S. said...

If you're going to splurge, it ought to be worth it, right? Oh my, it does my heart good to see REAL strawberries, the kind that do make juice to soak into the biscuit! Yum! What a great treat! I love strawberries no matter how they're served.

Carla from The River said...

Hello Judy,
I know Bobby Jean will miss your shortcake. That was all she talked about when she planned to visit. Shortcake and snail hunting.

Under Her Wings said...

Oh, my goodness! I can't wait to put on that extra calorie boost! If I didn't have so much to do I'd make it right now and eat it for breakfast. What's teaching a kid and doing pilates and..........maybe I'll just eat instead!

annies home said...

oh my strawberry shortcake delicious this is one of my favorites to make as a kid and mom made it in this same way come over and visit me at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

Yenta Mary said...

This is so unbelievably gorgeous!!! And what perfect plates to serve it on! It may have been 400 calories, but every single one of them was worth it, I promise -- strawberry shortcake is a true luxury, and the first one each season is so sublime ... :)

Kristin (Book Sniffers Anonymous) said...

This looks delicious! I know what you mean with the calorie counting. I did that once and was very good about it and then Christmas came and I stopped. I guess I was too ashamed of all the cookies and desserts I ate. HaHa
Holy Cannoli Recipes

Unknown said...

You know what????? Strawberries are only in season for so long, and fresh strawberry shortcake is a one or two time treat a year. Calories be danged! Have at them, and have some for me too! (The same rule can be applied to sweet corn!)

laurie said...

I love strawberry shortcake! But now I'm wondering...did you make the peach pie?

Abigail Rogers said...

Oh wow that looks good! It's got lots of fruit so it has to be good for you, right?

Tiffanee said...

Looks delicous and so worth the calories! We only get fresh strawberries for such a short period of time. We need to enjoy them and this looks perfect!

Mika said...

OH WOW! I just had my desert but this is mouthwatering..I want one :)

Allison @ Alli 'n Son said...

I'm so drooling over those strawberries! Love this recipe.

I hope you'll stop by and share this recipe with Sweet Tooth Friday. http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/07/21/sweet-tooth-friday-blueberry-cheesecake-ice-cream/

Maggie Lamarre said...

wow my dh is a shortcake afficianado, we go to the strawberry festival every year for the cupcakes...
I'm inviting you to join our linking party every Wednesday at
http://www.passionatelyartistic.com/2011/07/american-pickers-with-linking-party.html
Have a fabulous week,
Maggie
http://passionatelyartistic.com

Ai Sakura said...

thanks for sharing this.. i love strawberries! gotta try making this now haha

Ai Sakura
www.sakuraharuka.blogspot.com

Alison Agnew said...

just a note to tell you that i'm featuring your recipe on fridays unfolded this week!

alison

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