Eat, Read, and Be Mommy

Do you LOVE strawberries?  Because I really, really do.  And since my birthday is in July, I’ve been known to request angel food cake with copious amounts of strawberries and whipped cream on top for my birthday cake.  (I’ve also been known to request Rhubarb Custard Cake, which involves copious amounts of cream and general deliciousness.)  My poor oldest also loves strawberries, and this was the third year in a row she asked for that very thing; unfortunately, her birthday is today, and we live in Utah, not California or South America.  This year, however, it finally occurred to me that while fresh strawberries aren’t worth the exorbitant price you’ll pay for them this time of year (I’d pay it for her if I thought they’d actually taste good enough to be worth it!), there is this recipe for Strawberry Sauce that we make for pancakes or waffles from time to time, and I’ve made it with frozen as well as fresh.  I posited that to her, and she was sold!  And so, for her birthday cake, we had angel food cake and strawberry sauce and whipped cream.

Mmmmmm.

In the interest of full disclosure, this sauce is NOT the same as fresh strawberries (and how could it be?).  On the other hand, it’s very tasty.  I understand from my friend Andrea that the same recipe is in the Our Best Bites cookbook, but that it doesn’t call for almond extract.  This is a mistake to me, because I love the almond; on the other hand, if you don’t, you should probably go with the cookbook version.  If you do, well…I suspect that this one’s better.  I make it with Costco frozen strawberries more than I make it with fresh (the fresh tend to go to other things too quickly), and it’s still got quite a nice flavor.  You should try it.

With angel food cake.

And real whipped cream.