Follow up On Strawberry Shortcake

A quick note: on yesterday's tip I talked about using Angel Food Cake for Strawberry Shortcake.  It works very well!!  However, when you cut the strawberries make sure you do two things. 1. Hull the strawberry by cutting the stem end out.  If you just slice off the top you will leave the hull in.  2. Slice the strawberries in thin slices.  This will give you more juice and make it easier to use the macerated berries.

Strawberry Shortcake

Nothing says summer like Strawberry Shortcake.  Here is a way to change it up a bit. Bake an Angel Food Cake but make it in a half sheet pan.  A half sheet pan can be purchased at any good kitchen store like Williams Sonoma or other store that features cookware.  It is not a cookie sheet.

When the cake is done let it cool in the pan. I bake mine the day before so the cake has cooled and is ready to come out of the pan. Cut around the sides of the sheet pan with a knife and use an offset spatula to loosed the cake. Place a cutting board about the same size as the pan on top of the cake and invert it.  Use large cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Stack the cutouts on a plate and cover with your strawberries. ( used three different sizes making a three level desert. That served five adults and I still had cake left over.) Add some whipped cream and you have a great summer dessert.

Tips On Making Stock

The best stock is home made.  You can control the salt and the flavors that go into the stock. Here are a couple of tips.

1. Save the parts you need in a freezer bag. I put the ends of onions and celery along with any vegetables in a freezer bag and write ‘STOCK” on the outside along with the date. Chicken backs, wings etc go in a separate bag. That way you can make the kind of stock you want.

2. Don’t boil stock! Bring it to a simmer and simmer for hours to develop the flavors. Skim off the foam that will develop and discard.

3. Don’t throw out onion skins or the ends of celery. These are perfect for stock. However, I do not recommend using every vegetable peel as they may have pesticides on them.

Lastly, stock will last about 2 weeks in the refrigerator and about six months frozen.  I sometime make smaller amounts and freeze it in ice cub trays. When it is frozen I put the stock cubes in  a bag.  Then I can use what I need.