Sweet Strawberry Shortcake

Eating your favorite dessert after your meal is like an exclamation point in a sentence. I can also compare it to the exciting climax of the novel "Da Vinci Code" that I read for three nights. A lot of us like strawberry because of its sweetness. I even buy a strawberry jam at the store for my bread. But having a strawberry jam for my bread is not enough, I need something for my dessert. It's a good thing, a friend told me about Strawberry Shortcake.







3 pints fresh strawberries
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
2 cups whipped heavy cream

The first step in preparing this dessert is to slice the strawberries and toss them with 1/2 cup of white sugar. After that, set it aside and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F or to 220 degrees C. Then, grease and flour one 8 inch round cake pan. Combine together the flour, baking powder, salt and 2 tablespoons of white sugar in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. At the center, make a hole and put the beaten egg and milk. Next, spread the batter into the prepared pan and put it inside the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool on a wire rack and slice it in half. Put half of the strawberries on one layer and top with the other layer. Finally, top with the remaining strawberries and cover with the whipped cream.