Clever Divas

I grew up in Tampa and, for a few years, I lived in Plant City.  One of my favorite times of the year is when the famous Plant City strawberries are plump and ready to be picked.  The town is also famous for Parkesdale Farms and their fruit and vegetable stand where they serve strawberry shortcakes during the season.

Since 1930, Plant City has held the Strawberry Festival annually to celebrate the harvest.  Each year for ten days in late February to early March, the town is filled with thousands of people enjoying the fair activities and concessions serving strawberry shortcake, strawberry milkshakes, strawberry sundaes, strawberry cobbler, strawberry ice cream, and just plain strawberries.

Here are a couple of my favorite strawberry dessert recipes.

Strawberry Cake

1 strawberry cake mix (I like Duncan Hines because it has bits of strawberries in it)

Make the cake according to package directions.  Bake in a 9X13 pan.  Cool cake completely.

1 (3 oz) box of strawberry Jell-O

Make according to package directions.  Refrigerate until starting to congeal, but still liquid.  Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes in cake.  Slowly pour Jell-O over cake taking the time to spread to fill the holes.

3 cups fresh sliced strawberries

¼ cup sugar

3 T Amaretto

Mix and marinate for 20 minutes.  Mash to make more like jam.  Spread over cake.

1 cup heavy whipping cream

¼ C confectioners sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Beat until peaks form.  Do not over beat.  Spread over cake.  Decorate with a few fanned strawberries.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Strawberry Angel Food Cake

Dissolve a large package of strawberry Jell-o in the hot water according to the package.  Instead of adding ice water (per the package) add 1 package of frozen strawberries in lite or heavy syrup (thaw package first).  Stir well.

Pour 1/3 of the Jell-o into a bundt pan.  Tear a store-bought angel food cake into chunks.  Put ½ into the bundt pan.  Top with 1/3 of Jell-0.  Add last of cake and finish with Jell-0.  Refrigerated for 4 hours.  Invert cake onto a serving platter and frost with Kool-Whip.  Garnish with fresh strawberries.

Enjoy! 

Diva Dolores