Do you remember when you first started cooking on your own? I do and this is one of the first dessert recipes I made. I had asked my boyfriends mom how to make Strawberry Shortcake because I didn’t know. All I ever did was indulge on this wonderful June fruit by eating it right out of the package. She had made it and gave us a bowl full with Cool Whip on top. The reason I remember it is because her husband cracked up when I asked for the recipe. Laughing he said you just add sugar. I was so embarrassed! That is why I am blogging about Strawberry Shortcake today. Somebody out there has no idea how to make it. As simple as it is to make, everybody has to learn how for the first time. So who ever is reading this blog and was afraid to ask, this is for you! I would never laugh!

Start by buying fresh, ripe and fragrant strawberries. Cut off the stems and any bad spots.

Rinse off the strawberries. Let them drain in a colander.

Dice into small pieces.

Using a pastry blender, cut up the strawberries until there are only small pieces remaining and liquid has formed.

Add sugar 1 Tbl at a time. This is the most important part. You don’t want to add too much sugar. Add a little, stir and taste. Every quart of strawberries will be sweeter or more tart than the last so there is no set amount of sugar to add. It’s all by taste. I added 1/4 cup of sugar total, stirred and tasted it. It was still slightly tart but I didn’t add any more sugar. I find once this sits for a few hours the sugar melds into the strawberries. I will refrigerate the sweetened strawberries and taste them again just before serving. Keep in mind, you can always add more sugar but you can’t take it out.

Place a piece of shortcake, angel food cake or whatever you like on a plate. Top with prepared strawberries and top off with whipped cream.