# I've cracked the code!!



## mdboatbum (Apr 25, 2013)

Well, sort of. When I was growing up, my Grandmother made the most amazing strawberry shortcake. Her shortcakes were sweet, but not overly so. Somewhat dense, but still fairly light. She made a syrup which sort of tied the whole thing together. It too was sweet, but not sickly sweet. No whipped cream was ever served with it, partially because it wasn't needed and partially because my Grandparents were notoriously thrifty and refused to spend money on it.

Unfortunately, my Grandmother is long gone, as are my parents and all my aunts and uncles. No one in my generation was ever entrusted with the recipe, so, like so many others. it's passed into the vague, misty realm of the fond distant memory.

Oh HELL NO!!! Not on my watch!!! I've taken up the task of recreating it, and I believe I'm nearly there. I've nailed the syrup, and am very nearly there with the short cakes.

This morning, I was staring at the refrigerator and the cabinets looking for something for breakfast when I had an idea.

Strawberry pan-shortcake! (or is that short-pancake?)













photo.JPG



__ mdboatbum
__ Apr 25, 2013






Yeah, yeah, I know, it's just a stack of flapjacks with strawberries on it. But it isn't, not really.

Ingredients:

For the berries:

1 pint fresh strawberries.

2TB sugar.

For the pancakes:

2 cups CAKE flour. (yes, it matters)

1 and 1/2 cups milk.

1 egg

2TB melted butter

2TB sugar

1TB baking Powder

1/2tsp salt

For the syrup:

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1TB cornstarch

1/2 stick butter

1tsp Vanilla extract

Dash salt

First, you slice the strawberries thin and sprinkle them with sugar. Pretty standard stuff.

Nest make the syrup by combining the sugar,salt,butter and all but 3TB of the water in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and let it roll for 1 minute. Then remove from heat. Mix the cornstarch with the reserved 3TB water and slowly stir into the sugar mixture. Return to the heat and bring to a boil for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat, let cool for 5 minutes then stir in the vanilla extract. Mixture should be the consistency of heavy syrup. Set aside.

For the pancakes, sift your flour, salt and baking powder together into a large mixing bowl. Then, in another bowl, whisk the egg and sugar together until it thickens and lightens in color, about a minute or 2. Then whisk in the melted butter. You should end up with something the consistency of homemade mayonnaise, because, that's essentially what it is. Then whisk in the milk. Then add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture, mixing ONLY ENOUGH TO COMBINE. There may be a few little lumps, but that's ok. Let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Now, depending on how long your Strawberries have been macerating, you'll have a good amount of sugary liquid in the bowl. You can drain it off and add it to the syrup mixture for a nice hint of strawberry flavor.

The rest is pretty simple. Cook your pancakes in the usual manner. Then layer each pancake with strawberries and drizzle with syrup. Makes for an awesome weekend brunch or a fun dessert. You could do silver dollar pancakes for small individual servings for dessert.

I'll post the recipe for the shortcakes in another post as soon as I've dialed it in.


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## sound1 (Apr 25, 2013)

Nicely done!!  I love the old family recipes with instructions like add just enough to (whatever) and/or cook till done. Very helpful instructions to say the least.


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## kathrynn (Apr 25, 2013)

Looks wonderful...cant wait till our local Strawberry truck comes this way!  I still have some of my Grandmother's recipes where Oleo is part of the recipe!

I use the Bisquick shortbread recipe from the box.  Actually it's good!

Kat


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## chef jimmyj (Apr 25, 2013)

Those look like a Fine Breakfast. I have never made a separate sauce but it sounds good.  Give this Recipe a shot. It may get you close to the Texture and Taste you want. If not we can discuss it and adjust as needed...JJ

Cream Shortcakes

2C AP Flour

1/2C Butter, cut in 1/4" cubes and Super Cold

1/4C Sugar

1T Baking Powder

1/4tsp Baking Soda

1/8tsp Salt

1/2C Heavy Cream, chilled

1/4C Sour Cream, chilled

1tsp Vanilla Extract

Preheat the Oven to 400*F

Place the Dry ingredients, except Sugar, in a bowl mix well. Add the Butter and Cut the butter in using a Pastry Cutter or other method until the mix looks very coarse crumbs.

Combine the the Wet ingredients with the Sugar and beat until well combined. Add the Wet to Dry and stir to forms a moist Dough.

Flour a work surface and Hands and dump the Dough out, Knead 2-3 times and pat out to 1" thick.

Cut into rounds of the desired size and place on a Greased cookie sheet about 1" apart. Gently stack and pat the scraps together and continue cutting until all the dough is used.

Bake on the middle rack at 400*F for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool, slice and serve with Berries and Sauce.

Makes about 12


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## smokinhusker (Apr 25, 2013)

That looks phenomenal!!!! Nice job! I use my grandmother's shortcake recipe which is close to a sweet airy biscuit. Just made some yesterday and dropped on top of peach cobbler!!! It's very close to the one Chef Jimmy posted.


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## fpnmf (Apr 25, 2013)

Thanks..a lot!!!

My blood sugar shot up 100 points just looking at it...

Some bacon would make it perfect.

  Craig


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## Bearcarver (Apr 25, 2013)

I hate to say this Mdboatbum, but that don't even look legal.

Better eat it fast before the "Pleasure Police" break down your door !!!!

Bear


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## mdboatbum (Apr 25, 2013)

Thanks JJ! I'll have to give that a shot this weekend. It's been so long I have no idea what she used, but I know I'll recognize it if I get close.


fpnmf said:


> Thanks..a lot!!!
> 
> My blood sugar shot up 100 points just looking at it...
> 
> ...





Bearcarver said:


> I hate to say this Mdboatbum, but that don't even look legal.
> 
> Better eat it fast before the "Pleasure Police" break down your door !!!!
> 
> Bear


HAHA!! It is a little over the top. What you see in the photo is what's left after I threw in the towel. I'm thinking 2 or 3 2" pancakes would make a nice serving.

Thanks everybody, I'll let you know what I come up with for the shortcakes.


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## stovebolt (Apr 26, 2013)

That looks great. The strawberry shortcake that I grew up with was made with smashed, sweetened berries layered with cooked pie crust.

Let it sit in the fridge to chill through and let the pie crust soak up the juice and it is awesome.

Chuck


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## Bearcarver (Apr 26, 2013)

Mrs Bear doesn't do a lot of Baking.

She usually buys these cakes (below).

I like them, because they are concave on top to hold more berries.

Maybe you could make yours concave on top too???  And include instructions???

Bear


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## rdknb (Apr 26, 2013)

I had to up the insulin in my pump just looking at them, they do look so good


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## driedstick (Apr 26, 2013)

Dang nab it that looks good. I'm with Craig need a piece (or two) of bacon in there


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## jarjarchef (Apr 27, 2013)

Looks great!

I had a ton of cook books and hand written recipes from my Grandparents. Unfortunately they were all lost during the Trifecta of Hurricanes we had several years back.......lots of history lost that will never be recovered.....


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## seenred (Apr 27, 2013)

That looks amazing, Andrew!  Thanks for sharing the recipes...

Red


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## foamheart (Apr 27, 2013)

That looks really good, even after putting up 6 flats of local berries this week, I have the stained hands to prove it!

Plus I made an extra flat and set it aside for Christmas. I make what I call Liqueur Fraise. Its a big hit with the church ladies.... I macerate fresh cut up strawberries in spiced rum for about a month or two then clean and filter. Tastes just like strawberry juice and it puts a smile on your face.

Even though I was born in N.C. family was from West Texas. They didn't have short cake or angels food, they had a slice of butter pound cake with strawberries and whipped or clotted cream. Always called it strawberries shortcake, it was pretty tasty!

Those pancakes sure do look good though. May have to try some for breakfast.


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## chef jimmyj (Apr 28, 2013)

Foamheart said:


> That looks really good, even after putting up 6 flats of local berries this week, I have the stained hands to prove it!
> 
> Plus I made an extra flat and set it aside for Christmas. I make what I call Liqueur Fraise. Its a big hit with the church ladies.... I macerate fresh cut up strawberries in spiced rum for about a month or two then clean and filter. Tastes just like strawberry juice and it puts a smile on your face.
> 
> ...


Growing up in NJ, Mom did the same thing, used 1/2- 3/4 C Sugar per QT of sliced Strawberries, this made a Strawberry Syrup. Then put all on top of Pound Cake. Mom liked Whipped Cream but Dad and I just POURED about 1/2 C Heavy Cream over the whole deal. Made kind of a Strawberry Soup!...YUM!...JJ


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## frosty (Apr 29, 2013)

No matter which way you slice this, it looks wonderful!!!!!


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## pgsmoker64 (Apr 30, 2013)

That looks freakin' amazing!!!!

You got me droolin' buddy!

And then leave it to our friend JJ to step in and offer an absolutely fantastic short cake option.  You rock JJ - you too MDBB.

Thank you for sharing that wonderful breakfast and your recipes.

Bill


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