Paula Deen's Lean: Individual Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry Shortcake has been a summertime dessert favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. There was a restaurant in Elon (where I went to college) called The Village Grill, where they had fabulous strawberry shortcake. Each spring they would let the town know it was shortcake time by posting word of it's arrival on their sign. Those were happy days...college and the shortcake!

Now, as we know, there was nothin' lean about that good, southern strawberry shortcake I used to enjoy in NC. Even the fresh strawberries were covered in tons of sugar. Then it was OK, 'cause I was younger and in college; able to get away with eating more "bad" food then than I can now. Gotta love that aging metabolism, right? So since I refuse to let go of the foods I love, we are going to make a lean version using inspiration from Paula's Individual Strawberry Shortcake recipe. After the first bite, I closed my eyes and was right back in NC, enjoying my favorite summertime, southern dessert. Everything I enjoy about this dessert is there. Everything my body doesn't like about this dessert is not! It rocks! 

INDIVIDUAL STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES
Makes 8

INGREDIENTS

• 1lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1/2 cup Smucker's SUGAR FREE strawberry preserves
• 2 cups Bisquick Heart Smart baking mix
• 2/3 cup FAT FREE milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 16 tablespoons Reddi Wip FAT FREE topping (2 tbsp./serving)
• Fresh mint (optional garnish)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix Bisquick, milk and sugar. Drop onto a prepared baking sheet, making 8 "shortcakes". Bake for 10-12 minutes.

In a small glass bowl, turn the preserves into a syrup by microwaving on high for about 20 seconds; until it becomes a syrup.

To assemble shortcakes, slice the biscuits in half. Place sliced strawberries on the bottom half of the biscuit, then top with 2 tbsp. Reddi Wip cream topping. Place top of the biscuit over the Reddi Wip and strawberries. Drizzle each biscuit with about 1 tbsp. warm preserves and additional fresh strawberries. Garnish with fresh mint (optional).

RESULTS

NUTRITION FACTS (Per Serving):

BEFORE: 354.75 calories;  16.91g fat;  45.26g carbohydrate;  5.04g protein;  2.64g fiber

AFTER: 157.13 calories;  2.08g fat;  34.69g carbohydrate;  3.29g protein;  1.89g fiber

SAVES: 197.62 calories;  14.83g fat;  10.57g carbohydrate

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