Strawberry Shortcake

Stawberry Shortcake has a distinguished history in the Furner Family. It all began during our first of many visits to John Escuaga's Nugget Casino in Reno.

Of course the steakhouse provided other experiences as well... like when us kids would try to sneak a quarter in a slot machine or when I was 4 or 5 and plopped a heaping soup spoon of what I thought was sour cream in my mouth, which turned out to be creamed horseradish... but the main reason we visited the bright lights of the Nugget was for dessert... the syrupy smooth strawberry shortcake. It wasn't the traditional shortcake. It was served in a large bowl, with a strawberry soup puree at the bottom, the disk-shaped cake floating on top, a generous spray of freshly whipped cream and, teetering on the top, a generous scoop of sliced berries. It was a great balance of textures, color and, most importantly, taste.

Since moving almost 20 years ago, it seems we might still be on a quest to find a shortcake that compares to the Nugget's creation. Until then, I'll settle for a recipe I've been making since my first trip to Switzerland at 14... a simple shortcake bursting with fresh cream and slightly sweetened berries.

I think my dad
& Daniel agree!