The BEST Strawberry Shortcake Ever!

There are about as many ways to prepare strawberry shortcake as there are ways to fix Bubba's shrimp.  I've seen it with pound cake, angel food cake, sponge cake, biscuits, and pancakes!  One of my family's most favorite recipe's is my Grandma Lyons' Strawberry Shortcake, and I am about to share this treasured family recipe with you, my favorite Peeps!  It is The Best Strawberry Shortcake Ever!

There is a story that goes along with this recipe; actually there are many stories surrounding the making and sharing of this recipe, but the one I share happened 55-56 years ago.  It was the day my dad's parents came over to meet my mom's parents. Grandma Flossie, my mom's mother, knew that Dad absolutely loved strawberry shortcake.  Since this was a big, important occasion Grandma planned on making his favorite dessert.  As she brought out the strawberries and the little round pound cakes she bought from the store, Dad was on high alert that this was NOT his idea of short cake, so in his most polite, so-to-be-son-in-law manners, he suggested that Grandma Flossie wait until HIS mom got there, and she would make it for them!  ACK!  So glad everyone had a good sense of humor about his remark,or I might not be typing this!

So Mom learned how to make this, and my brother and I learned how to make this, my niece can make it, and now it is Miss Bear's turn to learn this storied recipe, with a little help from Grandma Becky. I'm sure Grandma Lyons is looking over our shoulders every time someone in the family makes her creation.

I have a picture of Grandma Lyons out at our farm near Brook with my brother and I showing off strawberries we picked at a U-Pick strawberry patch my Grandma Phyllis had on the farm....but of course I can't put my hands on it. Here's another picture of Grandma and I on a Christmas Eve a long long time ago.  It's my favorite.

Back in the day, there was a fairly good sized strawberry patch out at what we now call "our" farm. People would come from all over the area to pick Grandma's strawberries. That made me happy because then we didn't have to pick the patch!  It just one more memory I have of the farm that I treasure.  The strawberries are gone now, but the memories are safely in my mind.......

In present time, we were serving 17 people this day, so we tripled the recipe.  Yep, Everyone in my family LOVES this delightful dessert, and we usually only eat it in late May or June when the strawberries are ripe. Here are a couple of shots with Mom and Hannah working together, but I was never able to grab a shot of the finished dessert.  Poof!  It seriously was all gone by the time I came to grab a piece of cake and some strawberries.  We were able to remake it a couple nights ago just for the four of us, and I will be darned if most of it was gone by the end of supper.  Luckily, I served up my dish FIRST and was able to get a shot of the finished masterpiece, again made by Miss Bear.  She is becoming quite the chef, and I am really loving this new development!

And here it is!  Shortcake on the bottom, covered with sweetened strawberries, and swimming in some creamy half and half.  Sigh........ 

Now it's your turn to try Grandma Lyons' BEST Strawberry Shortcake Recipe!  Go to your favorite farmer's market or U-pick patch, get the sweetest ripest reddest berries you can find, some half and half in the dairy section of your grocery store, and enjoy this dish as much as my family does.

Let's get this party started!

Printable Recipe

Grandma Lyons' Strawberry Shortcake

Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients

• 1 Cup flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 T. lard, can use Crisco
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• milk
• 2 T. butter, melted in the baking dish

Cooking Directions

1. Mix all dry ingredients together
2. Cut lard into dry ingredients with a fork and knife, then use fingers to make the dough crumbly.
3. Add enough milk to make a soft dough.
4. Knead on a floured board , and then divide in half and roll into a square.
5. Form one half into the bottom of a 9 x 9 baking dish (pour butter out first!)
6. Pour half of the butter on dough in pan, then place other half of dough on top of the butter, and pour remaining butter on top and spread evenly.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

I have to tell you, dear readers, that sometimes I just smack the whole dough into the warm pan, punch it around with my hands and fingers until all corners are covered, then spread the butter on top and pop it in the oven.  This way you get crispy edges to your crust, but never fear!  The dough is all soft and yum.

We rarely make just this recipe; usually it is doubled or tripled.  Once you have some, you will understand!  From my grandma to all of my Peeps.....Enjoy!

P.S. If Grandma Lyons was still with us, she would be 118 years old!  I guess you could say this is an heirloom recipe!