Summer is finally upon us. The gauzy days and nights beforehand may be filled with outdoor barbecues, whispering sprinklers, chirping crickets, and masses of an outdoor laugh.
When this column is posted, we can be within the midst of the iconic Strawberry Days Festival in Glenwood Springs. After that, the Fourth of July, after which the canine days of the summer season will come and pass. Then, before we comprehend it, the ethereal summertime will once more deliver a way to autumn. We ought to make every moment rely upon till then.
For me, Strawberry Days are the reputable start of the summer season here in my native land. I normally run the yearly 10k race, and then if my legs can take it, I like to wander the companies’ cubicles and sample the food aimlessly. Sweet and salty kettle popcorn is usually a favorite. I never omit a parade, and I love taking images of the Ferris wheel at night time. These are my reports at Strawberry Days, but they’re now not complete until I have strawberry cake or ice cream.
Before much of anything was right here, there were orchards. But, then, there is approximately the rocky soil, severe sunshine, and cool nights that certain fruit vegetation — along with strawberries — seem to love. I even have by no means had lots of luck developing strawberries, sincerely due to the fact, my piggy pug loves to devour them directly off of the plant. However, other local farmers have had a long way more fulfillment, and that they hooked up Strawberry Days in 1898 to celebrate their preferred crop.
Sometimes, if you are fortunate, you can also snag a few strawberry shortcakes. This summer season, pride is mostly a combination of sliced strawberries, sugar, whipped cream, vanilla taste, and shortcake. Shortcake is satisfactorily described as a crumbly cake that fairly resembles a biscuit or cookie. It is quite dry and normally no longer sweetened, absorbing the candy juices and flavors accompanying the fruit. I even have determined that it isn’t always continually smooth to get strawberry shortcake in stores. It is also most effective to be had at unique events consisting of our liked Strawberry days.
Shortcake isn’t always tough to make, but it does require greater coaching. Many years in the past, I turned into invited to a July Fourth summer season block party. I was instructed to bring a strawberry shortcake or something similar that could be patriotically adorned. Unfortunately, I couldn’t locate a shortcake, nor did I have the time to make one, so I whipped up my model that took less time to prepare and was a huge hit on the birthday celebration. I am thrilled to share my tackle strawberry (quick)cake with you in honor of Strawberry Days.
Like many of my recipes, this one has many possible versions. The basic components may be substituted at will with scrumptious effects nearly guaranteed. I like to apply Sara Lee’s “All Butter Pound Cake” as my shortcake substitute. It is dense and crumbly, which allows it to keep up after being soaked with the strawberries. Pound cake is sweeter than shortcake, so I brush lemon juice on every slice to counteract the beauty. The lemon juice additionally gives the cake a greater vivid and complicated taste. If you no longer need to apply pa and cake, you could use angel food cake or a comparable white cake. I even have tried this earlier than, and it’s miles very gratifying. The angel food cake soaks up greater juice than pound cake, but it can keep its shape. Keep this in mind with any cake which you want to apply.
