My friends tease me that I was born with a whisk in one hand and a rolling pin in the other. From the time I was 5 years old I begged my Mom to teach me how to cook. I haunted her in the kitchen — she had no choice but to make me her little sous chef de cuisine! I loved my Dad’s garden, the raspberry bushes, his fruit trees, the grapevines and even the compost pile in the corner of the backyard that seemed to grow the largest and best squash plants! This early passion for baking and cooking, using fresh organic produce and healthy ingredients, remains to this day.

Growing up in the small town of Wethersfield, Connecticut, our family always looked forward to the month of June. Dad’s birthday was the first week in June, and this meant that the strawberries were ripe and ready for picking. Dad would load all of the kids (I was the oldest of five) into the station wagon and we would travel down the Connecticut River Valley a short distance to the local strawberry farm. After several hours of filling our baskets (we ate two for every berry that went into the basket) we would collapse into the back set of the car and head for home, sunburned, tired, and with clothes and hands stained bright strawberry red. And of course, we would insist that we had to have Strawberry Shortcake that evening for dessert before we could even think about making Strawberry Jam.

In honor of Father’s Day and one of my Dad’s favorite desserts, here is our family recipe for Strawberry Shortcake. It’s quick and easy to make, and the flaky shortcake biscuits just call out for those fresh seasonal strawberries, whipped cream and a big glass of icy-cold milk.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE (Serves 6)

BISCUITS

2 Cups sifted white unbleached All Purpose Flour

4 Teaspoons baking powder

1 Teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons White Sugar (I use Bakers superfine sugar)

1 Large Egg

1/2 Cup unsalted cold butter

1/2 Cup whole milk

Preheat Oven — 400 degrees

Mix dry ingredients together into medium mixing bowl. Cut butter into very small pieces, and add to dry ingredients. Blend with pastry cutter, and then mix with your fingers, squishing pieces of butter into the flour. Do this quickly to keep the butter cold. Whisk egg and milk together in a separate bowl. Add egg/milk mixture to dry ingredients and stir together with a fork. The batter will be a bit sticky. Pour shortcake mixture onto lightly floured pastry cloth or floured marble rolling surface. Dust with a sprinkle of flour, and knead gently a couple of times into a round ball. Roll out to a ? inch thickness. Flour bottom of cookie/biscuit cutters (I use a 2 inch diameter cutter, but have been known to make Papa Bear, Mama Bear and Baby Bear sizes!) and cut out biscuits. Place biscuits onto parchment paper on a cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Put another biscuit round on top of the first, so you have two rounds to make one biscuit. With pastry brush or fingers, brush a little milk on top of each biscuit. I sprinkle with a little sparkling/sanding sugar for garnish. Back on middle shelf in oven (I do not use my convection oven) for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

STRAWBERRIES

4 pints of fresh strawberries

Wash, hull and slice strawberries into serving bowl. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 Tablespoons of sugar and set aside.

WHIPPED CREAM

I pint of Strauss Organic whipping cream, whipped into soft peaks (I love Strauss Family Creamery products — they are the BEST !)

Hint: Place stainless steel bowl and whisk attachments in freezer for 30 minutes before whipping to ensure great results.

Assemble shortcake biscuits onto plate — open biscuit, spoon strawberries and whipped cream in the middle of the biscuit, place top of biscuit onto filling, and garnish with additional whipped cream and berries ! A sprig of fresh mint always makes a nice garnish.

Enjoy !

— Lynn Kathleen Adams