Let them eat cake

Got berries? Got flour? Here's Lute Troutt's recipe

By Jayne Spencer
For 50 years, alumni of the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) have been trekking back to the Indianapolis campus for the annual Strawberry Shortcake Medical Alumni Luncheon, which was held this past Saturday (May 17). Physicians attend educational events, meet with colleagues and...eat Lute Troutt's famous concoction.

Troutt, who died in 1987, was a professor emeritus at IUSM, the first intern in the IUSM dietetics program and the first director of the Department of Dietetics.

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

(for 6 servings)
Berry mixture:
4 1/2 C. strawberries
1/2 C. sugar
Shortcake and topping mixtures:
2 C. flour
1T. plus 1 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1/3 C. sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 C. liquid whipping cream
1/4 C. water at room temperature
3/4 C. half-and-half
Procedure:
Strawberries:
Wash, drain and stem. Slice and sweeten with sugar, stirring to create juice. Adjust taste.
Shortcake:
Premeasure all ingredients at approximately 75 degrees F. Secure baking sheets. Preheat oven to 375. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; stir with slotted spoon. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or with two knives in a cutting motion to break the butter into small pieces mixed throughout the flour. The resulting mixture should have a course, mealy consistency. Stir together whipping cream and water and add to the butter/flour mixture all at once, stirring just enough to moisten. Drop dough by the heaping tablespoonful on ungreased baking sheet approximately two inches apart to allow for spread. Place baking sheet in oven. If oven has shelves, select middle shelf. Bake for 12-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on wire. To serve, top shortcake with berries and for a special touch, pour half-and-half over shortcake.

Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
(for 6 servings) Berry mixture: 4 1/2 C. strawberries 1/2 C. sugar Shortcake and topping mixtures: 2 C. flour 1T. plus 1 t. baking powder 3/4 t. salt 1/3 C. sugar 1 stick butter 1/2 C. liquid whipping cream 1/4 C. water at room temperature 3/4 C. half-and-half	Procedure: Strawberries: Wash, drain and stem. Slice and sweeten with sugar, stirring to create juice. Adjust taste. Shortcake: Premeasure all ingredients at approximately 75 degrees F. Secure baking sheets. Preheat oven to 375. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; stir with slotted spoon. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or with two knives in a cutting motion to break the butter into small pieces mixed throughout the flour. The resulting mixture should have a course, mealy consistency. Stir together whipping cream and water and add to the butter/flour mixture all at once, stirring just enough to moisten. Drop dough by the heaping tablespoonful on ungreased baking sheet approximately two inches apart to allow for spread. Place baking sheet in oven. If oven has shelves, select middle shelf. Bake for 12-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on wire. To serve, top shortcake with berries and for a special touch, pour half-and-half over shortcake.

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