When a wonderful friend brought me a pint of strawberries, I didn’t want to just eat them straight (tempting as it was). Instead, I made strawberry shortcake with my own pretty, elegant spin. These light and airy puff pastry stacks let the fruit shine.
—Jenny Dubinsky, Inwood, WV
Prep: 25 min. Bake: 15 min. + cooling Makes: 12 servings
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
4 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp. sugar, divided
11/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven to 400°. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry to a 10-in. square; cut into 12 rectangles (approx. 3x21/2-in.). Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake pastry until golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, toss the sliced strawberries with 1/4 cup sugar. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. In another bowl, beat the cream until it begins to thicken. Add vanilla and remaining sugar; beat until stiff peaks form.
3. To serve, split the pastries horizontally in half. Top each bottom half with 2 Tbsp. whipped cream and 1 Tbsp. strawberries; replace top half. Top with the remaining whipped cream and sliced strawberries.
1 serving: 246 cal., 16g fat (8g sat. fat), 34mg chol., 76mg sod., 23g carb. (11g sugars, 2g fiber), 3g pro.