Cook-A-Doodle-Doo!

Last weekend, Mimi came to visit from St. Louis. To celebrate (and beat the heat), Mary, Ben and Mommy made homemade strarwberry SHORTCAKE. It was delicious! We had so much fun following a recipe from a delightful story called Cook-A-Doodle-Doo! Big Brown Rooster decides to follow in his great-grandmother's footsteps (The Little Red Hen) and master the art of baking.

"Rooster rushed into the chicken coop. 'It has to be here,' he said. He looked high and low, and there it was at last, hidden under a nest-her cookbook. The Joy of Cooking Alone by L.R. Hen."
"Rooster carefully turned the pages. 'So many recipes-and I thought she just baked bread! Look at the strawberry shortcake!'"

The unexpected surprise (we were doing a farm theme for our summer learning) was the recipe at the back of the book:

Great-Granny's Magnificent Strawberry Shortcake
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup milk
3 to 4 cups strawberries, washed and sliced
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Preaheat overn to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift flour, then sift together dry ingredients. Cut in butter unitl mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg and milk, sitrring by hand just enought to moisten. Spread dough in greased 8 X 1 1/2-inch round pan, building up edges slightly. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool on rack 5 minutes. Split into tow layers; lift top off carefully. Alternate layers of cake, whipped cream, and strawberries, ending with strawberries on top. Enjoy!