6 c Fresh strawberries; sliced
1 c Whole strawberries
1 c Sugar
3 tb Corn starch
3 c Flour
1 ts Salt
1 ts Baking powder
1 1/4 c Vegetable shortening
1 Egg; beaten
5 tb Grapefruit juice
1/16 ts Salt
8 oz Cream cheese
1 c Milk
1 c Whipping cream
2 tb Powdered sugar
Wash, hull and slice strawberries. Reserve 1 c whole strawberries for
garnish. Mix sliced berries with granulated sugar and corn starch. Let
stand while preparing pastry.
Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in half of shortening until
mixture is fine; cut in remaining shortening; add beaten egg and
grapefruit juice. Toss mixture lightly with fork and press into a
ball. Divide dough into three equal parts. Roll each part out on
lightly floured board and cut into 10" circles. Prick all over with a
fork. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 450 F for 5 minutes. Remove
from oven and cool on wire rack.
Cook sliced strawberries over medium heat, stirring gently, until
[juice is] thick and transparent. Cool.
Whip cream cheese; gradually beat in milk until mixture is of
spreading consistency.
When pastry and strawberries are cool, assemble dessert. Place a
circle of pastry on a large plate, spread with 1/3 of the cream
cheese and 1/3 of the strawberries. Repeat process until the three
layers are completed.
Whip cream, sweeten with powdered sugar. Garnish outside edge of
dessert with wreath of whipped cream. Spoon wreath of whipped cream
around top edge of dessert. Garnish with reserved whole berries.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
