Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake is my most favourite food ever. Well, it's my favourite food lately but that's probably because it's the first week of July and all the local strawberries are in stores. For me, the shortcake just has to be homemade... none of this tea biscuit from the store bit or those sponge cake, airy things...they just won't do. It has to be shortcake. A sweet biscuit. My goal every July is to eat enough strawberry shortcake in a couple of weeks to get me through to the next July when the berries are fresh and ready to enjoy all over again.

2 cups flour
1/2 cup (heaping) white sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 slightly beaten eggs

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Cut in butter with a pastry blender and blend until the mixture resembles course cornmeal. Add buttermilk and slightly beaten eggs to flour mixture and blend until just mixed. Spoon mixture in 8 or 9 inch square greased baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes until top is slightly golden.

This shortcake is also delicious served as a biscuit with butter.

For strawberry topping, slice 1 box of strawberries and add approximately 1/3 cup of sugar. Slightly mash mixture (about 5 times) with potato masher just to bring some of the juices out. Let the strawberry mixture sit for an hour or so to allow the berries to surrender their juices (if you can wait that long!) Serve strawberry mixture over a slice of shortcake. Top with whipping cream or vanilla ice cream (or both!). Eat this 3 times a day while in season!