It's the juice, silly.

..take strawberry shortcake to the dimension

County Fair Strawberry Shortcake

This is the ultimate shortcake and the secret is in the juice! Fresh strawberries on a shortcake with whipped cream is nice, but when that shortcake is soaked in juicy, herb infused strawberry juice, it is a different game altogether,

Honestly, I have little use for out of season strawberries, It is a rare occasion when they are actually sweet and ripe. If I really want them in winter, I prefer frozen, so freeze some local berries today!

For the berries.

1 quart fresh strawberries local preferred, hulled and barely cut-- bigger pieces and texture is key here. Note that I like to keep the berries rather big and chunky because their texture is sublime. If they are too thin, they lose their impact on the palate.

4 cup water

2 1/2 to 3 cups sugar

4 fresh bay leaves or 6 basil leaves,

Put the prepped strawberries in heat proof bowl

Bring the water, sugar and bay leaves to a rolling boil.

Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let simmer down for about 5 minutes. and pour over the berries. It will still be hot.

This can be done up to 24 hours in advance. Allow to cool to at most room tempo, or a little cooler before serving

This is the secret to amazing shortcake.

Ok, now. If you need my shortcake recipe, it is at the end of this..

Or make your own recipe.

Or buy some.

Its all about the berries