With the 4th of July fast approaching, I thought it’s be fun to take a classic summer dessert, like Strawberry Shortcake, and give it a little red white & blue twist.

Mixed Berry Filling:
4 cups mixed berries (such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc.)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Shortcakes:
2 1/3 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup half and half
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Lemon Mascarpone Cream:
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mixed Berry Filling:
In a large bowl, mix together the 4 cups of berries, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar. Set aside.

Shortcakes:
In a medium bowl, combine the Bisquick, half and half, 3 tablespoons sugar and butter until soft dough forms. Drop 6 spoonfuls of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

Lemon Mascarpone Cream:
In a medium bowl, beat the mascarpone, heavy cream, vanilla, 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/2 cup sugar and together until soft peaks form.

To Assemble:
Take a shortcake and slice it in half. Add a layer of berries, then a layer of lemon mascarpone cream. Top with other half of shortcake, another layer of berries and end with a dollop of lemon mascarpone cream.

Yields 6 servings.

Poaches Peaches:
2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 peaches, peeled and halved

Raspberry Cream:
2 cups raspberries
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Poached Peaches:
In a large saucepan, add the water, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick and lemon juice. Simmer liquid for 5 minutes. Add the peach halves and poach over a low simmer for about 4 minutes or until the peaches are tender. Remove the peaches and place them in a glass baking dish, cut side down. Pour the poaching liquid over the peaches and refrigerate until chilled.

Raspberry Cream:
In a small bowl, mash the raspberries with a fork. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract until soft peaks form. Fold in the mashed raspberries.

To serves, place a peach half in a bowl or dish and spoon some of the liquid over it. Top with a dollop if raspberry cream.

Yields 12 servings.

Apple Compote:
4 apples (Pink Lady, Granny Smith or Golden Delicious), peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup apple cider
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mascarpone Cream:
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar

8-16 Ginger snaps, crushed

Apple Compote:
In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients and cook, covered, over low heat, until apples are tender and mash easily. (About 20-30 minutes) Chill mixture in the fridge until completely cool.

Mascarpone Cream:
In a medium bowl, beat together the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the mascarpone cheese.

Assembly:
Using parfait glasses (or similar), add a layer of the apple compote, a layer of crushed ginger snaps and a layer of mascarpone cream. Repeat until glass is full, ending with the cream.

Yields about 4-6 servings.

Don’t ask me why or how, but I dreamt about this cake last night. Soft spongey-cakey goodness accompanied by silky whipped cream flavored with cinnamon and chocolate. Oh yes, dreaming was bliss last eve.

Cake:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
5 eggs, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Cocoa powder, for dusting

Chocolate Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup semi-sweet OR bitter-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled (but still liquid)
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Cake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9×13-inch rectangular baking pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until light yellow and thickened. Fold the yolk mixture into the egg white mixture. Fold in the flour mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the top springs back when gently touched.

Let the cake cool in the baking pan for about 15 minutes then invert onto a sheet of parchment or waxed paper, dusted with powdered sugar. Gently roll the cake and let sit while preparing the filling.

Chocolate Cream:
Using an electric hand mixer, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Stir about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate. Add in the sugar. Stir the chocolate mixture back into the reserved whipped cream.

Assembly:
Unroll the cake and peel the top sheet of  parchment paper away from the cake (if haven’t done so already). Spread the cinnamon chocolate cream to within 1 inch of the edges. Starting from a short end, gently roll the cake and slide onto a serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Chill, covered, until ready to serve. Slice into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

Yields about 6 servings.