Strawberry season means sweet surprises

In trying to recap the events of the last week I was torn as to what to share with you today. Do I choose the last day of school when I left the school crying because our fourth-grader will be moving into the middle school? Or the first of some 24 ballgames to be played over the next six weeks? Or an evening filled with excitement as Ross received the Terrific Tiger award at the board of education meeting?

Instead, I will tell you about having a new pre-teen in our house: Ross turned 10 on Monday and I was caught up in a flood of memories as I relived his arrival into our family. The time has gone by so quickly, and I want to hang on to every moment and cherish each one of them. Thank goodness for Kodak!

Ross' birthday also is about the arrival of strawberry season. Each year we can anticipate having strawberries for his birthday, because they are in the peak of the season. Here are a few recipes that I received in the mail from a Jackson reader. There was an envelope full, so I had to choose only a few to share today.

Frosty Strawberry Squares

1 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup whipping cream, whipped, or 8 ounces Cool Whip

Pasteurized cartoned egg whites equivalent to 2 egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries or 10 ounces frozen berries, partially thawed

Stir together first four ingredients; spread evenly in a 9-by-9-inch or 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; cool and crumble. Sprinkle 2/3 of the crumbs in a 9-by-13-inch pan. Combine the egg whites, sugar, berries and lemon juice in a large bowl. With electric mixer beat at high speed to stiff peak stage, about 15 to 20 minutes. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon over crumbs. Top with remaining crumbs. Freeze for six hours or overnight. This can be kept in the freezer for up to two weeks. Cut into squares and top with a beautiful fresh whole strawberry.

Strawberry Angel Cake Dessert

1 angel food cake, cut in half

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons corn starch

4 tablespoons strawberry gelatin

6 ounces cream cheese

1/2 stick margarine

1/2 box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 ounce carton frozen whipped topping, thawed

Mix together water, 1 cup sugar and corn starch; cook until thickened. Stir while cooking. Remove from heat; stir in 4 tablespoons strawberry gelatin. Set aside to cool. Cream the cream cheese, margarine, powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then mix with thawed whipped topping and mix well. Use half of cake; top with cream cheese filling mixture, then part of the strawberry glaze then fresh sliced strawberries. Place the other half of the cake on top of this and repeat previous steps. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This recipes can also be made using fresh peaches and peach gelatin.

Strawberry Bread

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups oil

2 10-ounce packages frozen strawberries, thawed or 1 1/2 quarts fresh berries

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Add oil and eggs; mix well. Stir in nuts and strawberries. Pour into two greased and floured or sugared loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Strawberry Cake

1 box white cake mix

4 eggs

1 3-ounce strawberry gelatin

1 10-ounce carton frozen strawberries, divided and thawed

3 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water

Mix eggs, one at a time with oil; add cake mix, gelatin, 1/2 of the carton of strawberries, flour and water. Pour into a greased tube pan or two 9-inch layer pans. Bake at 350 degrees until tests done, about 30 minutes for layer cakes or about 40 minutes for tube pan. Frost cooled cake with the following frosting.

Strawberry Frosting

1 stick margarine

1/2 container of strawberries

1 pound box powdered sugar

Combine these ingredients until fluffy and of spreading consistency. Ice cooled cake.

Strawberry Gelatin Salad

2 small packages strawberry gelatin

2 cups boiling water

1 10-ounce package frozen sliced strawberries, thawed

2 bananas, sliced

1 16-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained

1/2 pint sour cream

Combine the gelatin and boiling water. Stir until well dissolved. Add the berries, bananas, mashed or sliced and pineapple with juice. Spoon half of the mixture into a flat pan. Chill until firm. Spread sour cream over bottom layer. Top with remaining gelatin mixture and spread evenly. Chill until all is firm and set up.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cake

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch salt

1/4 cup margarine

1 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons milk

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add margarine and cut in flour until in very small pieces. Combine egg and milk and add to flour mixture working only until just combined. Pat into a 9-by-13 inch baking pan.

For the filling:

5 cups chopped rhubarb

1 package strawberry gelatin

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup margarine

Pour rhubarb in pan over dough. Sprinkle gelatin over rhubarb. Combine sugar, flour and margarine making a crumb streusel mixture. Sprinkle over top of rhubarb. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

I hope you have enjoyed this sampling of strawberry recipes. Maybe you have found a new recipe to try, or have a recipe you would like to share with others. Please send those in and I will see that other cooks can enjoy them as well. Have a wonderful week, and until next time, happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.