Kid-friendly Classic Strawberry Shortcake Bliss + Softly Shaken Cream + Strawberry and Cream Smoothies Recipe - Sticky Fingers Cooking
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Family Meal Plan: Classic Strawberry Shortcake Bliss + Softly Shaken Cream + Strawberry and Cream Smoothies

Family Meal Plan: Classic Strawberry Shortcake Bliss + Softly Shaken Cream + Strawberry and Cream Smoothies

Classic Strawberry Shortcake Bliss + Softly Shaken Cream + Strawberry and Cream Smoothies

by Dylan Sabuco, Erin Fletter
Photo by Taylor Mathis/Shutterstock.com
prep time
25 minutes
cook time
12 minutes
makes
4-6 servings

Fun Food Story

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Classic Strawberry Shortcake Bliss

Strawberry shortcake was born from humble ingredients: ripe strawberries, fluffy shortcakes, and luscious whipped cream. It is a testament to how simple flavors can come together to create something truly blissful. 

In baking terms, "short" refers to a texture that's crumbly or tender. The "short" in "shortcake" comes from using plenty of butter in the recipe, giving it that distinctively crumbly texture.  

Whether you enjoy it at a summer picnic or as a sweet end to a family dinner, Classic Strawberry Shortcake Bliss is a joyful celebration of simplicity!

Enjoy it alongside our Strawberries and Cream Smoothies for a double dose of strawberry delight!

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Chef Erin, Food-Geek-in-Chief
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Shopping List

  • FRESH
  • 4 C strawberries, fresh or frozen **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 1 sprig of mint
  • 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
  • DAIRY
  • 1 stick of unsalted butter **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 2 to 3 C heavy whipping cream **(see allergy subs below)**
  • PANTRY
  • 2 C all-purpose flour **(see allergy subs below)**
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 C granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract **(see allergy subs below)**
  • HAVE ON HAND
  • Cooking spray (or parchment paper for baking sheet)
  • 2 1/8 C cold water

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

  • bake :

    to cook food with dry heat, as in an oven.

  • blend :

    to stir together two or more ingredients until just combined; blending is a gentler process than mixing.

  • emulsify :

    to convert two or more liquids into an emulsion. What is an emulsion, you ask? It is a fine dispersion of teeny tiny droplets of one liquid into another. It’s what allows oil and vinegar to mix and not separate.

  • macerate :

    to soften foods by allowing them to soak in a liquid.

  • measure :

    to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).

  • shake :

    to rapidly and vigorously move a covered container filled with food up and down and side to side to combine ingredients and create a different consistency, such as shaking whipped cream to make butter.

  • shape :

    to form food into a specific shape by hand or with a cutting tool—examples are cutting cookie dough into shapes with cookie cutters, forming bread dough into a roll or crescent shape, and rolling ground meat into a meatball.

  • stir :

    to mix together two or more ingredients with a spoon or spatula, usually in a circle pattern, or figure eight, or in whatever direction you like!

Equipment Checklist

  • Plastic jar + tight-fitting lid
  • Liquid measuring cup
  • Measuring spoons
  • Blender (or pitcher + immersion blender)
  • Cutting board + kid-safe knife
  • Dry measuring cups
  • Oven
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper or cooking spray
  • Potholder
  • Large mixing bowls (2)
  • Wooden spoon
  • Cookie cutter (optional)
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Ingredients

Classic Strawberry Shortcake Bliss

  • 1 stick of unsalted butter **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub 1/2 C solid coconut oil)**
  • 2 C all-purpose flour **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY sub gluten-free/nut-free all-purpose flour)**
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 T granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor—check label)**
  • 1 T cold water
  • 2 C strawberries, fresh or frozen **(for STRAWBERRY ALLERGY sub peaches or blueberries)**
  • 1 sprig of mint
  • 2 T granulated sugar
  • 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice

Softly Shaken Cream

  • 1 to 2 C heavy whipping cream **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free heavy whipping cream or omit recipe)**
  • 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
  • 1 T sugar/honey/agave nectar (or 1 stevia packet)
  • 1 pinch salt

Strawberry and Cream Smoothies

  • 1 C heavy whipping cream **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub coconut whipping cream)**
  • 2 C strawberries, fresh or frozen **(for STRAWBERRY ALLERGY sub peaches or blueberries)**
  • 1/2 C granulated sugar
  • 2 C cold water
  • 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor—check label)**

Food Allergen Substitutions

Classic Strawberry Shortcake Bliss

  • Dairy: Substitute 1/2 C solid coconut oil for 1 stick of unsalted butter.
  • Gluten/Wheat: Substitute gluten-free/nut-free all-purpose flour. Use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor.
  • Strawberry: Substitute peaches or blueberries for strawberries.

Softly Shaken Cream

  • Dairy: Substitute dairy-free/nut-free heavy whipping cream or omit recipe.

Strawberry and Cream Smoothies

  • Dairy: Substitute coconut whipping cream for heavy whipping cream.
  • Strawberry: Substitute peaches or blueberries for strawberries.
  • Gluten/Wheat: Use certified gluten-free pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla flavor.

Instructions

Classic Strawberry Shortcake Bliss

1.
intro

This recipe is a classic but mini version of the dessert. Strawberry shortcake evokes strong feelings of happiness and summertime. Once you taste the delectable combination of juicy strawberries, buttery cake, and fluffy whipped cream, you will be craving strawberry shortcake for the rest of the season.

2.
measure + mix

Have your kids start off by measuring all of the following dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl: 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Then, cut 1 stick of butter into cubes and add that to the dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture is loosely combined.

3.
measure + mix

Next up, have your kids measure 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon cold water. Add all of those ingredients to the mixing bowl. Mix until a dough begins to form.

4.
preheat + grease

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or by spreading a thin layer of cooking spray over it.

5.
roll + shape + bake

Dump the dough ball onto a clean surface. Using their hands, have your kids flatten the dough as much as possible (roughly 1/2 inch thick). Then, using a knife, a cookie cutter if you have one, or a jar lid, cut out 12 rounds of dough or 1 per student (about 2 inches across) and place them on a baking sheet. Once the baking sheet is full, slide it into the oven and bake for 12 minutes, or until golden brown.

6.
dice + sprinkle + macerate

While the shortcakes bake, have your kids dice 2 cups of strawberries and 1 sprig of mint and place those ingredients into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle that mixture with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 squeeze of lemon juice, stir a few times, and let the strawberries sit and macerate. They will be a topping for your shortcakes.

7.
decorate + devour

Take each shortcake off of the baking sheet. Have your kids pour some strawberries and some Softly Shaken Cream (see recipe) over the top of their cakes before you eat and enjoy!

Softly Shaken Cream

1.
measure + shake + emulsify

Have kids fill a plastic jar half full of 1 to 2 cups heavy whipping cream, 1 squeeze of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 pinch of salt. Shake, shake, shake until the cream has thickened and stops moving in the container, and "voilà!" (French for "there it is"), an emulsion! You've got homemade whipped cream!

Strawberry and Cream Smoothies

1.
chop

Remove the tops from 2 cups of strawberries. Roughly chop the strawberries and place them in your blender.

2.
measure + blend

Measure 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups cold water, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and add them to the strawberries. Blend until smooth. Serve and Enjoy!

Surprise Ingredient: Strawberry!

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Photo by FamVeld/Shutterstock.com

Hi! I’m Strawberry!

"Hello! I want to introduce myself. I'm Strawberry—and I have my very own month—May! I'm great in desserts, breakfast foods, snacks, salads, and fragrances. I like to be a part of picnics and holiday celebrations. So combine me with blueberries and bananas (or whipped cream, vanilla pudding, or white cake) for a red, white, and blue dessert for Independence Day in the United States or Bastille Day in France."

History

  • The garden strawberry as we know it was first bred and cultivated in France in the 1750s. It was a cross between a Virginian strawberry and a Chilean strawberry. 
  • The ancient Romans believed strawberries had medicinal powers. So they used them to treat everything from depression to fainting to fever, kidney stones, bad breath, and sore throats.
  • Native Americans made cornbread with crushed strawberries and cornmeal; this is how strawberries were introduced to Colonists and served as an inspiration for the invention of strawberry shortcake.
  • In some parts of Europe, people once believed elves could control how much milk cows produced and that the elves loved strawberries. So farmers tied baskets of strawberries to their cows' horns as an offering to the elves.
  • California produces about 80 percent of the strawberries in the United States. Strawberries have been grown in California since the early 1900s.
  • Americans eat an average of three and one-half pounds of fresh strawberries per year. In one study, more than half of seven to nine-year-olds picked strawberries as their favorite fruit. They're nature's candy!

Anatomy

  • The strawberry isn't a true berry but is called an accessory fruit. Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds outside their skin, about 200 on each berry. And, to be super technical, each seed on a strawberry is considered by botanists to be its own separate fruit!
  • The strawberry plant is a perennial and can last for a few years, producing fruit each year.

How to Pick, Buy, & Eat

  • Some varieties of strawberries are easier to harvest than others. To pick a strawberry from its plant, grasp the stem just above the berry between your pointer finger and thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.
  • To store fresh strawberries, place them whole and unwashed in one layer in a plastic or glass storage container and put them in the refrigerator. Wait to clean them until you are ready to eat them, as rinsing them quickens their spoiling.
  • Strawberries can be pickled! Especially when you pick them green or unripe. If your berries are overripe, make jam!
  • Strawberries can be puréed into smoothies or milkshakes and baked into tarts, pies, cakes, and tortes. Or, roast them and serve over ice cream and berries. You can also dehydrate and mix them into granola or purée raw strawberries and freeze them into yogurt pops. Dip them in chocolate or drizzle them with cream. Strawberries are incredibly versatile—the fruit we wait all year to enjoy once summer weather hits!

Nutrition

  • Strawberries are a HUGE source of vitamin C, especially when eaten raw! One cup of strawberries contains 113 percent of our daily recommended value. Vitamin C is excellent for the heart, bones, and teeth. When we cut ourselves or break a bone, vitamin C comes to the rescue to help repair our tissues. 
  • Strawberries contain natural fruit sugar, called fructose. However, fructose is better than table sugar (white sugar) because it comes packaged with other vitamins, nutrients, and fiber from the rest of the fruit. Plus, the fiber in fruit helps slow down the effects of sugar in our blood.

 

History of Strawberry Shortcake!

Photo by Elena Veselova/Shutterstock.com
  • Shortcake is a European invention dating back to the late 1500s. Shakespeare mentioned shortcake in his play, The Merry Wives of Windsor
  • Shortcake gets its name from the addition of shortening or butter to dough to make it tender. Referring to lard (animal fat) as "shortening" comes from the 15th-century term "to shorten," which meant "easily crumbled." This is probably because the pastry fibers are short, unlike bread. 
  • The crumbly shortcake, which first resembled the texture and shape of a scone, became round when the point of the typical triangular-shaped pastries kept breaking off. It was thought that the round shape was more practical. 
  • Shortcakes are made with flour, butter, sugar, baking powder or soda (or both), heavy cream, and sometimes eggs, and then baked in the oven. After cooling, they are often sliced horizontally in the middle before being topped with strawberries and whipped cream.
  • The strawberries are washed, hulled, and sliced or quartered. Sugar is added, and the berries are allowed to macerate (soften and become juicy). Other flavorings, like lemon juice, vanilla, or almond extract, are sometimes added to the strawberries. 
  • The shortcake is sometimes replaced with pound cake or angel food cake, but these variations on the dessert are still called "strawberry shortcake."
  • Strawberry shortcake, similar to what we eat today, was first mentioned in an 1847 recipe book by Eliza Leslie of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Strawberry shortcake parties soon sprang up to celebrate the harvests of summer fruits. Strawberry shortcake remains a popular summer treat!

Let's Learn About the United States!

Photo by JeniFoto/Shutterstock.com (July 4th Picnic)
  • Most of the United States of America (USA) is in North America. It shares its northern border with Canada and its southern border with Mexico. It consists of 50 states, 1 federal district, 5 territories, 9 Minor Outlying Islands, and 326 Indian reservations. 
  • The country's total area is 3,796,742 square miles, globally the third largest after Russia and Canada. The US population is over 333 million, making it the third most populous country in the world, after China and India.
  • The United States of America declared itself an independent nation from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, by issuing the Declaration of Independence.
  • The Revolutionary War between the US and Great Britain was fought from 1775-1783. We only had 13 colonies at that time! On September 9, 1776, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and declared that the new nation would be called the United States. 
  • The 13 colonies became states after each ratified the constitution of the new United States, with Delaware being the first on December 7, 1787.  
  • The 13 stripes on the US flag represent those first 13 colonies, and the 50 stars represent our 50 states. The red color of the flag symbolizes hardiness and valor, white symbolizes innocence and purity, and blue symbolizes vigilance and justice.
  • Before settling in Washington DC, a federal district, the nation's capital resided in New York City and then Philadelphia for a short time. New York City is the largest city in the US and is considered its financial center. 
  • The US does not have a recognized official language! However, English is effectively the national language. 
  • The American dollar is the national currency. The nickname for a dollar, "buck," comes from colonial times when people traded goods for buckskins!
  • Because the United States is so large, there is a wide variety of climates and types of geography. The Mississippi/Missouri River, running primarily north to south, is the fourth-longest river system in the world. On the east side of the Mississippi are the Appalachian Mountains, the Adirondack Mountains, and the East Coast, next to the Atlantic Ocean. 
  • On the west side of the Mississippi are the flat Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains (or Rockies), and the West Coast, next to the Pacific Ocean, with several more mountain ranges in coastal states, such as the Sierras and the Cascades. Between the coasts and the north and south borders are several forests, lakes (including the Great Lakes), rivers, swamps, deserts, and volcanos. 
  • Several animals are unique to the US, such as the American bison (or American buffalo), the bald eagle, the California condor, the American black bear, the groundhog, the American alligator, and the pronghorn (or American antelope). 
  • The US has 63 national parks. The Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, and the Grand Canyon, with the Colorado River flowing through it, are among the most well-known and visited.
  • Cuisine in the US was influenced early on by the indigenous people of North America who lived there before Europeans arrived. They introduced beans, corn, potatoes, squash, berries, fish, turkey, venison, dried meats, and more to the new settlers. Other influences include the widely varied foods and dishes of enslaved people from Africa and immigrants from Asia, Europe, Central and South America, and the Pacific Islands. 

What's It Like to Be a Kid in the United States?

  • Education is compulsory in the US, and kids may go to a public or private school or be home-schooled. Most schools do not require students to wear uniforms, but some private schools do. The school year runs from mid-August or the beginning of September to the end of May or the middle of June.
  • Kids generally start school at about five years old in kindergarten or earlier in preschool and continue through 12th grade in high school. After that, many go on to university, community college, or technical school. 
  • Spanish, French, and German are the most popular foreign languages kids learn in US schools. 
  • Kids may participate in many different school and after-school sports, including baseball, soccer, American football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, swimming, and track and field. In grade school, kids may join in playground games like hopscotch, four-square, kickball, tetherball, jump rope, or tag.
  • There are several fun activities that American kids enjoy doing with their friends and families, such as picnicking, hiking, going to the beach or swimming, or going to children's and natural history museums, zoos and wild animal parks, amusement parks, water parks, state parks, or national parks. Popular amusement parks include Disneyland, Disney World, Legoland, Six Flags, and Universal Studios.
  • On Independence Day or the 4th of July, kids enjoy a day off from school, picnicking, and watching fireworks with their families. 
  • Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Thursday in November when students get 2 to 5 days off school. Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are popular December holidays, and there are 2 or 3 weeks of winter vacation. Easter is celebrated in March, April, or May, and kids enjoy a week of spring recess around that time.  
  • Barbecued hot dogs or hamburgers, watermelon, apple pie, and ice cream are popular kid foods for 4th of July celebrations. Turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie are traditional Thanksgiving foods. Birthday parties with cake and ice cream are very important celebrations for kids in the United States!

THYME for a Laugh

What do you call strawberries playing the guitar? 

A jam session!

That's Berry Funny

Why were the little strawberries upset? 

Because their parents were in a jam!

That's Berry Funny

What do you call a sad strawberry? 

A blueberry.

That's Berry Funny

What is a scarecrow’s favorite fruit? 

Straw-berries!

That's Berry Funny

Why did the cake go to the doctor? 

Because it was feeling crumby.

That's Berry Funny

How does a cat make whipped cream?

With its WHISKers!

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