There are two known facts: summer is busy, summer is hot. These are the same two good reasons not to slave away and heat up the house while baking a dessert. Just because it is summer doesn’t mean you have to go without dessert, or pretend to be happy with store-bought ice cream, or worse yet, succumb to a pie counter at some chain restaurant that claims ‘home-made’! Summer also means fresh fruit of all kinds is available, and if not fresh as in go in the backyard and grab some, fresh fruit abounds at farmer’s markets and local grocers. So where is this going? Summer Shortcake! This is just mouthwatering good. I can’t even think of an adjective to do it justice. Try it! It is easy, elegant, and lends itself to your own signature additions: grated nutmeg, rum, vanilla, peach schnapps, maple syrup, oh my it is endless! I love to add a few drops of good maple syrup to the fruit and skip adding any sugar! The secret is frozen pound cake! Purchase a frozen pound cake and the magic begins. Best of all, you can keep a pound cake in the freezer, as well as some frozen fruit, and should you need an emergency dessert (we won’t speculate as to the reasons!) Summer Shortcake is waiting to happen! Lucky you, lucky guests!
1 10 ½ ounce frozen pound cake
1 stick butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3 1/2 cups sliced, assorted fresh seasonal fruit. Thawed frozen fruit will work too! Sugar to taste.
Prepared whipped cream
Thaw the pound cake. Cut it in half length-wise. Cut each half in fourths, length-wise. Cut each strip in eights to make pound-cake croutons. Set aside. Repeat with second half of pound-cake strips. In a large saucepan melt the butter and add cinnamon. On medium high heat add croutons and cook the croutons to crisp in the butter on all sides. Remove to cooling rack. Don’t set them on paper towel, as they will not stay crisp. Divide croutons into serving dishes. Top with the sugared fruit mixture and whipped cream, or half and half. Top with some of the pound cake crouton crumbs left in the pan for garnish. This will make four generous servings, or 5 more modest servings.
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