Tasty Thursday - A New Twist on an Old Favorite!

This time of year, probably seventy five percent of the meals I cook are at least partly cooked outside on the grill, and probably ninety percent of our meals are eaten out on the deck. By that time of day the sun has lowered behind the trees and isn't too hot, and we are shaded fairly well.

Last night we had burgers, baked beans and chips. Not a very exciting meal, until we got to the dessert. Now, we don't have dessert every night, or even every week, but I wanted to do something different last night, and am I ever so glad I did!!!

I did my grocery shopping yesterday and they had fresh strawberries for $1.65 per pound box. I brought home two boxes. They also had cool whip on sale for $1 per 8 ounce carton. I came home with 4 cartons - 3 for the freezer, one for the here and now! I also had a $1.00 off coupon, so I got one, basically, for free!

When I got home I sliced the strawberries into a bowl with a little sugar, then I pulled out a box of Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Fudge cake mix, and mixed it up according to package directions - almost! The only changes were:

1. I added about a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Vanilla doesn't make chocolate taste more vanilla, it makes it taste more chocolate! Or, it brings out the flavor that is already there.


2. The box called for 3/4 cup of water, and I used 1/2 cup of water and 1/4 cup of Kahlua. Kahlua is a coffee flavored liqueur, and it makes chocolate more chocolaty, and somehow adds moisture, but don't ask me how!

I baked 1/2 in a 9 inch round pan, the other half in muffin tins. I'll freeze the cupcakes for later use, but the one in the 9 inch pan will be eaten - quickly!

So, here's what you do to finish this wonderful treat:

Take a slice of the wonderful chocolate fudge cake, and put it on a pretty plate. In this case, my blue toile everyday dishes.




Place some of the strawberries on top and around the cake.




Drizzle a little bit of the juice from the strawberries all around, just for good measure.



Top the cake and strawberries with a generous,


and I mean GENEROUS! dollop of Cool Whip or your whipped topping of choice.



And then dig in! Enjoy every morsel because, I promise you, it is delicious to the very . . .



. . . last . . .

. . . bite!!!

Oh, and on the menu for dinner tonight . . .

Grilled Boneless Pork Loin Chops

Oven Roast Parmesan Potatoes

Grilled Fresh Asparagus and Zucchini

A Tall Glass of Sweet Iced Tea,

and you guessed it, more of this delicious, chocolaty twist on an old favorite

Strawberry Shortcake!

Blessings friends! Becky