Wild Strawberries
As we bid farewell to cicada season, we say a hearty “hello” to strawberry season. If you find yourself in need of a dish for that neighborhood block party or last-minute family cookout, bringing a dessert highlighting this summertime staple is always a welcome treat.
Strawberries don’t require a lot of fuss. As with most things in life, it’s best to keep it simple. Here, then, are strawberries three ways. Please note, this does not mean strawberry three-ways. I know we’re in Cincinnati but you have to admit that would be ridiculous.
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake is the ne plus ultra of summertime desserts. It’s a classic with good reason. It’s sweet, easy to assemble, and so light you barely notice you’re eating too much of it.
The only non-summer part of this is the “cake.” You could be a martyr about the whole thing and bake your own pound cake or angel food cake. Or you could just buy one. After all, you’re giving people dessert, they really shouldn’t be purists complaining about homemade v. store-bought.
Because strawberries are absolutely perfect at this time of year, you can sprinkle the tiniest bit of sugar create more of a “sauce” to top slices of cake. The final touch is whipped cream.
Though you can use whipped cream from a can, or whipped topping from a tub, this is one time you should put the effort into homemade. It’s not like you made the cake yourself!
Using a stand or hand mixer, combine a cup of heavy whipping cream with about a tablespoon of confectioner’s sugar and a splash of vanilla. If this is an adults-only gathering, you can sub in rum, bourbon, or even Chambord for the vanilla.
Because this dessert is assembled in place, often by the person eating it, it’s one of the simplest things you can “make” to bring to a summertime party.
All-American Fruit Salad
Strawberries? Check.
Blueberries? Check.
Whipped cream? Check.
You can serve up the red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July. Other than slicing the strawberries, the most difficult part of making this dessert is deciding how you want to put it together.
If you place the fruit and whipped cream in individual layers, it will resemble a classic British trifle. Maybe not the best option for Independence Day.
But you can evoke the great American melting pot by mixing the fruit together! To add more depth of flavor, whip a couple of tablespoons balsamic vinegar, sugar, and honey together and stir into the fruit. Top each individual serving with whipped cream.
For the truly ambitious, use a glass baking dish and arrange the fruit and whipped cream like a flag. Then share that on Instagram and reap the praise you deserve
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Confession: I have never made this.
It is, of course, not really a salad.
I imagine someone at a Midwest potluck was told to bring a salad with strawberries. Rather than go to the trouble of buying spinach, strawberries, and goat cheese to make an actual salad, they made this.
If you see this on a table you might even turn your nose up to it, thinking this “salad” isn’t worthy of your time. Then you find yourself devouring the entire thing in one sitting.
It’s the perfect combination of sweet, salty, crunchy, and creamy.
Essentially, this salad is a strawberry cheesecake with a pretzel crust. Though most recipes call for frozen strawberries and gelatin, it’s much easier to slice fresh strawberries to top it.
Similar to a cheesecake, the crust consists of pretzels and melted butter, baked for 10 minutes. The filling calls for cream cheese, sugar, and whipped topping. You can also make whipped cream (see above) and fold that into the cream cheese/sugar mixture.
With the cream and fresh berries, the dessert will have a lighter and brighter taste, though it still won’t be a salad. Eat it anyway.
–Tricia Suit