Recipes: Strawberry Shortcut, Berries in a Cloud, and Strawberry Dip

Celebrate Berry Season
with Spontaneous Desserts and Snacks

The appearance of plump, juicy strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries in backyard gardens and produce stands heralds the arrival of warmer, longer days, and conjures up visions of luscious desserts.

There's nothing better than fresh-picked, ripe berries...unless it's fresh-picked, ripe berries surrounded by a cloud of fluffy whipped topping. The combination makes for delightful spontaneous desserts and snacks, easily put together at the very last minute.

Strawberry Shortcut is today's version of a favorite American classic—strawberry shortcake. Spoon sweetened sliced strawberries over slices of pound cake and crown with dollops of whipped topping. No baking or whipping is necessary, and it's so-o-o-o good!

A great treat for a crowd of kids or an impromptu dessert for unexpected guests is Berries in a Cloud. It's so simple, the kids can do it themselves. Just spread whipped topping on the bottom and up the sides of dessert dishes, and spoon berries into the middle—a combination of blueberries, raspberries and sliced strawberries is especially appealing and looks and tastes wonderful.

Another "berry" good idea is a refreshing snack of smooth Strawberry Dip surrounded with a plateful of dippers—strawberries with stems or slices of banana, kiwi, peaches and pineapple. Combine whipped topping with mashed fresh strawberries and strawberry yogurt for a beautiful, bountiful bowl of dip.

So make the most of this year's berry season by creating simple desserts and snacks using an assortment of berries in season and serving them with Cool Whip whipped topping. They'll disappear like magic!

Strawberry Shortcut

1 package (10.75 ounces) frozen pound cake, thawed
3 cups strawberries, sliced, sweetened
1 tub (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Cut cake into 14 slices. Place 7 of the cake slices on individual dessert plates.

Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the strawberries over each cake slice. Top each with 1/4 cup whipped topping. Repeat layers, ending with a dollop of whipped topping. Serve immediately.

Makes 7 servings.