Italian Strawberry Shortcake

We have this awesome little restaurant in town called, Wild Zucchini and it’s one of our favorites for quick and easy meals instead of fast food. It’s basically street Italian food and we always get the pizza or piadina. The piadina is my personal favorite. One day they asked if I wanted any dessert and then quickly mentioned the seasonal strawberry shortcake. In case you haven’t noticed (Deep fried strawberry shortcake, Lemon strawberry shortcakes, Perfect angel food strawberry shortcakes, Strawberry shortcake donuts, and Strawberry shortcake gluten free pancakes)

I’m a bit of a strawberry shortcake aholic. I need help. But before I seek any out I thought this Italian Strawberry Shortcake or copycat Wild Zucchini Strawberry shortcakes would be the perfect announcement for our partnership with Pacific Foods!

I bet you’ll be shocked by what I’m using here but I promise it’s so good, polenta! Pacific has premade polenta packages so I just slice it up, pan fry it with a little butter and then coat it all in cinnamon sugar. It’s so yummy and you’d never guess it was polenta. There is one rule though. You must serve this quickly (not hot off the pan, just not hours later) as it is best fresh.

And the next best thing that has become my new obsession? That would be mascarpone whipped cream. I’m not exactly sure how Wild Zucchini does their recipe, but I’m certain it’s mascarpone whipped cream and I could shovel it into my face. No joke. Don’t be afraid of Mascarpone either, it’s just Italian cream cheese and it’s so light and creamy. My gosh this is good. I am totally trying it with raspberries next. Boom.

What is the Difference Between Shortcake and Regular Cake?

In America, shortbread is a sweet cake resembling a crumbly bread.

It is usually served topped with fresh fruit.

Can Shortcake be Made Ahead?

You can make shortcake early in the day, let them chill out on the counter all afternoon, and then serve them for dessert later that night.

Or you can make them a day ahead and store them in an airtight container.

Are Strawberries Good for You?

Strawberries are packed with vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, and more.

They are among the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity and are a good source of manganese and potassium.

Italian Strawberry Shortcake

5 from 2 votes

Italian Strawberry Shortcake

By Sweet Basil

Prep10 minutes mins

Cook6 minutes mins

Total16 minutes mins

Servings4

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 Package Strawberries, sliced
• ▢ 1-2 Tablespoons Sugar
• ▢ 1/3 Cup Cinnamon Sugar
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons Butter
• ▢ 2 Packages Pacific Foods Polenta, sliced in half then sliced in half again lengthwise creating 8 squares.

For the Whipped Cream

• ▢ 8 Ounces Mascarpone
• ▢ 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• ▢ 1 Cup Powdered Sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

For the strawberries

• Smash 1/3 the strawberry slices in a bowl and then stir in the remaining berries.
  1 Package Strawberries
• Add sugar as needed.
  1-2 Tablespoons Sugar
• Allow to macerate (get juicy) in the fridge until you're ready to use them.

For the Polenta

• Place the cinnamon sugar in a pie dish.
  1/3 Cup Cinnamon Sugar
• Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat with a little butter smeared all over the bottom.
  3 Tablespoons Butter
• Pat the polenta squares dry and add to the pan, cooking for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden and adding more butter as needed. I like to only fry up 2-3 squares at a time.
  2 Packages Pacific Foods Polenta
• Remove immediately to the cinnamon sugar, flip and make sure all sides are coated.
• Set aside on plates to cool slightly.

For the Whipped Cream

• In a large glass bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer with whisk attachment, whisk the mascarpone until smooth.
  8 Ounces Mascarpone
• Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mascarpone into a small dish and wipe the bowl clean.
• Add the cream to bowl and whip until soft peaks begin to form.
  1 Cup Heavy Cream
• Add the powdered sugar and whip until peaks form.
  1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• Fold in 1/3 of the mascarpone then fold in the remaining.

To Assemble

• Place one polenta on a plate, top with berries, another polenta, more berries and whipped cream on top.
• Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

store left overs covered, in the refrigerator

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 729kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 56g, Saturated Fat: 35g, Cholesterol: 161mg, Sodium: 130mg, Potassium: 45mg, Sugar: 49g, Vitamin A: 1931IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 121mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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