Strawberry Shortcake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #2)

by Joanne Fluke

The Strawberries (Prepare these several hours before you serve.) Wash 3 boxes of berries and remove stems. (The easiest way to do this is to use a paring knife to cut off the top part of the berry.) Slice all but a dozen or so, reserving the biggest and best berries to top each portion. Taste the berries and add sugar if they’re too tart. Stir and refrigerate, covered tightly. Hannah’s Whipped Crème Fraiche (This will hold for several hours. Make it ahead of time and refrigerate it.) 2 cups heavy whipping cream ½ cup white sugar ½ cup sour cream (you can substitute unflavored yogurt, but it won’t hold as well and you’ll have to do it at the last minute) ½ cup brown sugar (to sprinkle on top after you assemble the dessert) Whip the cream with the white sugar. When it holds a firm peak (test it by dipping in your spatula), fold in the sour cream. You can do this by hand or by using the slowest speed on the mixer. Assembling Strawberry Shortcake Swensen Cut each Pound Plus Cake into 6 pie-shaped wedges and place on dessert plates. Top with the sliced strawberries. Put several generous dollops of Crème Fraiche on top and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Garnish with the whole berries you reserved. Serve and receive rave reviews.