Brownie Strawberry Shortcake*

By srumbel

Here’s a summery sort of classic recipe made with brownies instead of pound cake. These are the perfect dessert for a summer dinner party because you can assemble them early in the day and then just pull them out of the refrigerator and serve them after dinner. No fuss! They’re pretty enough to be called a fancy summer dinner party dessert, and they’re easy and casual enough that if you wanted to serve them at a summer barbecue, you can layer them in plastic throw-away cups instead.
from recipegirl.com

Ingredients

• BROWNIES (or make a boxed mix- but these are better!):
• 10 tablespoons (1 stick + 2 tablespoons) butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• THE REST:
• 2 baskets (pints) fresh strawberries, cut into bite-sized chunks
• whipped cream (see tips below)
• mint leaves for garnish, optional

Preparation

Step 1

1. Make the brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottom and 2 sides of a 9x9-inch pan with a sheet of parchment paper. Spray 2 unlined sides with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the cocoa, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Stir to fully combine. Add the slightly cooled butter/sugar mixture to the egg/cocoa mixture, stirring until smooth. Stir in the flour and chocolate chips to the batter and stir until fully incorporated. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top to even it out. Bake brownies 22 to 25 minutes. They'll be done when a toothpick inserted inter the center should reveal a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. Cool completely before cutting. You can run a knife along the sides and use the parchment to transfer them to a cutting board. If you need to store them, they'll be fine in a covered container for up to 3 days, and they can also be frozen. Cut about 1/3 of the pan of brownies into small chunks for the shortcakes. The rest of them are for you to enjoy on their own!

2. Assemble the shortcakes: Use 5 to 6 glass dishes or small mason jars- begin by sprinkling a layer of brownies into each dish. Top with a layer of whipped cream, then strawberries. Repeat layers- brownie, whipped cream and strawberries.

Tips:
*For the whipped cream > Pour 1 cup of very cold heavy cream into a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat on high speed. When the cream is beginning to thicken, slowly add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, continuing to beat. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. The whipped cream is done when it has more than doubled in volume, and when you lift up a whisk, the cream stays in place. Don't overmix of the cream will get clumpy looking.
*If you're a fan of Cool Whip, you can use it in place of the whipped cream if you'd like- BUT the homemade whipped cream will taste 100% better!