In my opinion, nothing culminates your 4th of July Picnic or Barbecue like a dessert of Strawberry Shortcake. This simple pastry is one of the easiest to make and transport to wherever your dinner venue takes you whether it is a gathering on the back patio, a picnic at Shuler Park before the local Fire Works, or a waterside barbecue after swimming in Echo Lake.
Local strawberries are at their peak ripeness just around Independence Day in the Mount Washington Valley. The local strawberry grower, Schartner Farms offers "pick your own" fruit for those who like to get their strawberries at their freshest. Schartner Strawberry Farm Stand is located at the junction of River Road and West Side Road in North Conway only 3 miles from 23 Hill'N Vale. Ripe, luscious, brilliantly red strawberries fill a field of bushes with the dramatic backdrop of Humphrey's Ledge.
In addition to strawberries, Schartner's also offer a variety of jams and even pre-made biscuits for your dessert. However I prefer to get a box of Bisquick and make my own biscuits. That allows me to create a generous 4 inch drop biscuit that I find is the perfect serving size for this dessert. I like to cut the strawberries in halves or quarters and macerate them in a couple of generous spoonfuls of granulated sugar. On vacation, when I am looking for the simplest method of service, I use canned whipped cream. However, if you have the time and a hand mixer, real whipped cream is really the best topping for this dessert.
Strawberry Shortcake Recipe
Here are two bisquick recipes that are simple to make while on vacation:
For 6 Bisquick biscuits:
2 1/3 cups Bisquick baking mix
3 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
3 Tbsp sugar
For 6 Less Sweetened Biscuits:
2 1/4 cups Original Bisquick Baking Mix
2/3 cup milk
Heat oven to 425°F. Stir ingredients until soft dough forms. Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
To Prepare the Strawberries:
Cut about 1 quart of strawberries as desired. Mix with ¼ cup of granulated sugar. The sugar will soften the berries and release their juices. For a real Red, White, and Blue dessert mix in a cup of blueberries.
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