Call me Strawberry Shortcake. I would like this to be my new nickname.
I work with perfectionists. Their demand for me to be perfect often hinders my ability to perform to the perfection I demand from myself. I often end up failing and becoming very grumpy. Occasionally I succeed, such is the story of with strawberry shortcake.
The Sous Chef, Jamie, and I had been discussing making strawberry shortcake for some time before we actually decided to do it. Little did I know that while we were discussing we were both thinking of two different versions of shortcake.
My mind was filled with delightful pictures of spongy airy cakes covered in strawberries smothered in sauce and piled high with whip cream. This is the kind of shortcake we’ve always had in my family. I have just always assumed that this was what strawberry shortcake was. It is delicious and one of our favorite desserts in my family.
Jamie’s mind was filled with shortcakes that we like sweet biscuits. No light and airy sponge cake, but a biscuit. I was appalled when he told me what his vision was. This was not shortcake. Why would anyone want an icky old biscuit when they could have light and fluffy cake?
After sharing my opinion, I got schooled on shortcake. Let me share my lesson with you.
Shortcake is considered “short” because you cut a fat into the flour. When you combine this fat with the flour you break the gluten and prevent it from forming, thus creating shortening strands of gluten. TA DA! You get short dough, which can be turned into numerous things like shortcake.
After my lesson I studied shortcake recipe after recipe determined to succeed and not quite believing that I could. I finally found what I thought (hoped was more like it) to be perfect! (Thanks Food Network)
I went to work armed with my recipe and just hoping it wouldn’t be too bad. I tried to quietly make the shortcakes in case they came out bad. No one would know I had tried and failed. My attempt didn’t go unnoticed however; I think Jamie might have at least a dozen eyes. He sees everything.
I placed my shortcakes in the oven with a prayer that somehow they would succeed. Ten minutes later I had amazingly beautiful and golden brown shortcakes. I kinda just stared in awe at them for a few minutes. The test arrived sooner than I would have liked. Jamie and the other Sous, Ryan dove right in and decided to try. As they tasted I closed my eyes and just waited for them to tell me how awful they were. It didn’t come however. I slowly opened my eyes one at time to reveal their smiling faces. My stomach did a flip, what were they going to say; surely smiling couldn’t be a good thing.
Jamie was the first to speak. He said, “Megan, these are delicious!” I was stunned. My shortcakes had actually worked. I was amazed. Finally something came out perfect on my first try!
It was one of my best days at work. Jamie ate four shortcakes with everyone else following right behind him! Whenever I fail at something now I just remember the glorious shining moment of the shortcakes.
