Brownie Strawberry Shortcake

  Strawberry season is the time to make  a beautiful strawberry dessert.
This show stopper is a family favorite.

Whether the strawberries are from the store or your garden, go ahead

and whip this up. 

Strawberries in my garden are just beginning.

We covered them with a net last year to preserve some for ourselves.

We leave some uncovered for the birds and squirrels, but they like

to scream at us as we are out there picking.

These strawberries are from the store.  I bought the basket in Cabo.

Brownie Strawberry Shortcake

Make 1 1/2 batches of your favorite brownies ( 1 batch meaning enough to fill a 9x13 inch pan). Bake them in 3- 9 inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper. 

Our Favorite Brownies (So make 1 1/2 times this recipe and bake in round pans.)

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 C. melted butter

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/3 C. flour

2/3 C. cocoa powder

1/1/2 tsp. salt

2 C. semi- sweet chocolate chips

In a medium sized bowl mix the eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla.  In another medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa and salt. Stir the two mixtures together with a spoon just until blended.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the edges of the pan.  Do not overbake.   

Let the brownies cool ten minutes in the pan and then remove from pan and let cool completely.

Beat together 1 pint heavy shipping cream with 1/2 C. powdered sugar until soft peaks form.  Whipped cream should hold its shape but be careful not to overbeat it.  You don't want to end up with sweet butter!

Slice 1 quart of strawberries.  Sprinkle with 1/4-1/2 C. powdered sugar and gently toss.  I like to sweeten my strawberries with powdered sugar as it instantly melts and forms a nice sauce.  

Layer the brownie, cream and strawberries.  Top with chocolate dipped berries and drizzle with a little melted chocolate.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

There are several ways to make chocolate dipped strawberries from simple to more complicated.  The simplest way is to melt the chocolate coating discs (not real chocolate) in the microwave.  The next least complicated is to melt chocolate chips in the microwave and stir in shortening.  The most complicated is to melt couverture chocolate ( the kind of chocolate that is used in dipping fine chocolates).  The reason  each kind becomes more complicated is that the finer chocolate requires greater care.  Couverture chocolate tastes the best, but unless you are experienced with it, I would choose either of the other varieties.  When chocolate is not handled properly, it will streak and that ruins your end result.  I will give instructions for using chocolate chips.

2 C. Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips ( you can use other varieties, but I like their flavor the best)

2 tsp. shortening

   Place chocolate chips in a micro-wave safe bowl.  Melt for 1 minute.  Stir the chips, even if they look like they have not melted.  The biggest problem with using a microwave to melt chocolate is if you don't stir the melted chocolate up from the bottom of the bowl, it will then become scorched with additional melting and will ruin the whole bowl.  I have dipped chocolates for 30 years now and always use the microwave with my couverture chocolate and have never had problems as long as I stir after the first minute and every 30 seconds thereafter. Melt for an additional 30 seconds if necessary, stirring after each melting.

   Stir the shortening into the chocolate until blended.  

   With a moist paper towel, wipe off the ripe strawberries.  You do not want any moisture left on the strawberries.  Room temperature berries work the best to avoid condensation.  Holding the strawberry by the green top, dip into chocolate.  Gently shake the berry or swirl it around a few times to shed the excess chocolate.  Place on parchment paper.  If the chocolate puddles on the paper, or creates what is called a skirt, you need to take a little more time to remove the excess chocolate.  You can dip in nuts or coconut before placing on the paper if desired.  You can also use white chocolate.  Drizzle with a contrasting chocolate if desired.  Finally, place the pan of dipped berries into the fridge for a few minutes to set the chocolate.  If you use the chocolate coating discs, omit the shortening.

   Strawberries are best eaten within 24 hours.

Have fun making this delicious and easy dessert!

I will be posting this with Designs by Gollum Foodie Fridays.

and

Baker's Themed Sunday - Strawberries