Grandma’s strawberry shortcake

This is one of my favourite desserts, perfect for strawberry season. My grandmother and mother both made this, and I make it nearly every year too. An old-fashioned Nova Scotian treat!

Definitely hold out for the local strawberries to fill this dessert.

One of the differences to typical recipes is that this uses a sweetened bannock base rather than angel food cake.

Ingredients

Bannock base:
4 cups flour
10 teas baking powder
1 teas salt
3/4 cup lard or shortening
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups milk

Filling:
strawberries
white sugar

Topping:
whipping cream
white sugar
vanilla

Instructions

With a pastry blender, combine first 5 ingredients.  Add milk.  

Place in greased and floured pan (9x13).  Bake at 425F for 20 minutes.  

Slice strawberries.  Sprinkle with white sugar, stir and let sit (about 1/2 cup sugar to 2 quarts strawberries).  

Whip heavy cream, and add a few teaspoons of sugar and a little vanilla.  

Cut cake into squares, and slice each in half (like a bread roll).  On the bottom half of the cake, put strawberries and whipped cream.  Cover with top half of cake and top with more strawberries and whipped cream.  

The Verdict

So simple, and so delicious. Definitely try it out!

We’ve added blueberries to our shortcake – what would you add? Tell us in the comments!