It’s been a Mother’s Day tradition to cook dinner with my son since he was tall enough to reach the stove. He knows I have a hankering for anything with strawberries, especially this time of year, so he wisely planned a strawberry dessert. In our family my love of strawberries is legendary. This is a story that maybe should not be shared, but is such an obvious ode to strawberry devotion that here it is: When our little bundle of joy was on the way and cravings were at an all-time high, I spotted a Shoney’s Strawberry Pie sitting in the fridge in the teacher’s lounge at the school where I worked. You remember those pies. Lots of fat strawberries in a goopy red gel-like substance not known to nature, piled high with whip cream from a can. It was irresistible. After a long day of seemingly endless tasks, it was still there. You can guess what happened - I took it. I left a twenty-dollar bill and an apology note and ate the whole pie in my office with the door closed. This is not a thing to be proud of and although no one ever said a word, I thoroughly believe there may still a person out there who is mad about that pie. That confession being made, we did not re-create a Shoney’s Strawberry Pie last night, but something so much more delicious – it’s a recipe that must be shared. This dessert has always been called Strawberry Stuff. That doesn’t sound fabulous but in truth it is. It’s a cross between a cobbler, a pie, and a cake, and it features strawberries, so Strawberry Stuff it is. The recipe seems so easy that the results are always surprising. It all starts with the strawberries.
Once you slice them you can give them an optional bath in a tablespoon of fruit liqueur, like triple sec or raspberry. The cake part begins with melted butter which you can do right in the baking dish you are using in the oven while it preheats. Mix together the milk, sugar, and flour mixture, pour it over the butter – don’t stir – and pour strawberries on top. Pop it in the oven and leave it alone for 30 minutes. Admittedly it’s hard to ignore the fantastic aroma, but it’s worth the wait. Strawberry Stuff is delicious right out of the oven with a little whipped cream or ice cream. It’s wonderful cold the next morning and yes – it’s also marvelous at room temp. This is a great recipe to make all year round, but somehow, it’s just a favorite for early summer. Make this soon and enjoy!
Last Friday was my day to cook on Channel 5’s Talk of The Town. Click this link to watch. I love getting to be there, it’s like cooking with your family. Lelan was the perfect assistant to turn out a beautiful skillet of Greek Style Tomato Baked Shrimp. Check us out! It was delicious!
Ingredients
3 cups strawberries, sliced (optional mix with a Tbsp fruit liqueur)
6 Tbsp butter
1 cup flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
Zest of one lemon
1 cup milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter in an 8 x 8 (or similar size) baking dish, sprayed with cooking spray, in the oven as it preheats.
In a bowl mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and stir in milk.
Pour milk mixture over melted butter – do not stir.
Pour strawberries on top – don’t stir.
Bake for 30 until top is lightly browned.
Serve with ice cream or whipped cream for an extra treat!
