June 14 is National Strawberry Shortcake Day. To some people, a shortcake is a biscuit, made from scratch. At our house, strawberry shortcake was made with either sponge, pound, or angel food cake, from the grocery store. Although I've made biscuits
http://adventureswithnancyrose.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html I'm not a true baker, and usually say "why bake if you can buy"?
What I do enjoy is taking delicious ingredients (like Driscoll strawberries) and creating my own tribute to the strawberry shortcake. I went into my closet of fantastic cooking aids that have never been used and found a truly oldie but a goodie. Stacks-The Kit, The Art of Vertical Food - Why cook a meal when you can create a sensation?
http://www.amazon.com/Stacks-The-Art-Vertical-Food/dp/1580080626. Creator, entertaining expert, interior designer, and entrepreneur Deborah Fabricant said "Stack-it", pack it, and attack it". Thanks Deborah, I think I will.
Strawberry Stackcake
Driscoll Strawberries, sliced
brown sugar
pound cake, cut into stack shaped 1/4-1/3" slices
softened cream cheese (I use Tofutti brand)
kiwis, sliced
dry toasted sliced almonds
strawberry sauce*
fresh lime
whipped cream
*Make strawberry sauce by pureeing fresh strawberries with a splash of fresh lime juice and a pinch of brown sugar.
Take a Stack mold and spray the inside lightly with cooking oil. Put a piece of parchment paper on a plate and put the stack on this, or use a cookie sheet covered in parchment if you plan to make multiple stacks.
Slice the strawberries, sprinkle with some brown sugar, stir and set aside.
Schmear a little softened cream cheese on a slice of pound cake and place it in the mold. Lay sliced strawberries to cover the layer. Repeat with another schmeared pound cake slice with a layer of sliced kiwi. Repeat with a strawberry layer, then repeat with a kiwi layer, and if you have some juice accumulated from the macerated strawberries drizzle some on the stack as you go along.
Top the last piece of plain pound cake with a layer of sliced strawberries. Cover the stack and refrigerate at least one hour, but I did it overnight.
Remove the stack from the refrigerator and put it on a serving plate. Carefully remove the mold to reveal an amazing structure of colorful strawberry goodness. Garnish with the strawberry sauce, whipped cream, and almonds.
This is definitely a wow presentation and really delicious too. I'm sure it has you wondering about all the stacking possibilities, sweet and savory. What would you stack?
(For more about National Strawberry Shortcake Day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-S9z5H6XsQ)
June 14 is National Strawberry Shortcake Day. To some people, a shortcake is a biscuit, made from scratch. At our house, strawberry shortcake was made with either sponge, pound, or angel food cake, from the grocery store. Although I've made biscuits
http://adventureswithnancyrose.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html I'm not a true baker, and usually say "why bake if you can buy"?
What I do enjoy is taking delicious ingredients (like Driscoll strawberries) and creating my own tribute to the strawberry shortcake. I went into my closet of fantastic cooking aids that have never been used and found a truly oldie but a goodie. Stacks-The Kit, The Art of Vertical Food - Why cook a meal when you can create a sensation?
http://www.amazon.com/Stacks-The-Art-Vertical-Food/dp/1580080626. Creator, entertaining expert, interior designer, and entrepreneur Deborah Fabricant said "Stack-it", pack it, and attack it". Thanks Deborah, I think I will.
Strawberry Stackcake
Driscoll Strawberries, sliced
brown sugar
pound cake, cut into stack shaped 1/4-1/3" slices
softened cream cheese (I use Tofutti brand)
kiwis, sliced
dry toasted sliced almonds
strawberry sauce*
fresh lime
whipped cream
*Make strawberry sauce by pureeing fresh strawberries with a splash of fresh lime juice and a pinch of brown sugar.
Take a Stack mold and spray the inside lightly with cooking oil. Put a piece of parchment paper on a plate and put the stack on this, or use a cookie sheet covered in parchment if you plan to make multiple stacks.
Slice the strawberries, sprinkle with some brown sugar, stir and set aside.
Schmear a little softened cream cheese on a slice of pound cake and place it in the mold. Lay sliced strawberries to cover the layer. Repeat with another schmeared pound cake slice with a layer of sliced kiwi. Repeat with a strawberry layer, then repeat with a kiwi layer, and if you have some juice accumulated from the macerated strawberries drizzle some on the stack as you go along.
Top the last piece of plain pound cake with a layer of sliced strawberries. Cover the stack and refrigerate at least one hour, but I did it overnight.
Remove the stack from the refrigerator and put it on a serving plate. Carefully remove the mold to reveal an amazing structure of colorful strawberry goodness. Garnish with the strawberry sauce, whipped cream, and almonds.
This is definitely a wow presentation and really delicious too. I'm sure it has you wondering about all the stacking possibilities, sweet and savory. What would you stack?
(For more about National Strawberry Shortcake Day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-S9z5H6XsQ)
Wow, Nancy, that is so cool! But what's a stack mold? The only thing I could think of that might work is a springform pan. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I also think of strawberry shortcake as something with sponge cake because that's how I learned to make it in France--genoise split in 2, layers brushed with light kirsch-flavored syrup, then put together with strawberries and whipped cream.
A spring form pan would allow you to layer too but the Stack molds are different shapes and smaller for individual servings
DeleteI remember those stack molds, and what a fad that was! You're taking me in the way-back machine now...was it the 1970s or '80s?
ReplyDeleteI met Deborah Fabricant and her Stacks in the 90's but they could have been around since the late 80's. The concept is great, but never really caught on. Let me know if you ever want to borrow mine.
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