Name: Strawberry Shortcake Dirty Soda
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound fresh strawberries, trimmed, quartered; 1/2 cups sugar, divided; 1 cup water; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon butter extract, optional (see below); 1/2 teaspoon almond extract; pinch salt; 2 ounces cream soda; 6 ounces strawberry sparkling water; 3-4 tablespoons Strawberry Shortcake Syrup; 1 tablespoon half and half; 1 heaping tablespoon whipped cream; 1 teaspoon chopped dehydrated strawberries

1 Combine strawberries and 1 cup sugar in a bowl and mix with a spoon. Cover and let sit on the counter for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

2 Add 1 cup of water to the macerated strawberries and stir everything together. Transfer into a saucepan and add the rest of the sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Once simmering, lower heat to medium-low. Simmer until strawberries are very soft, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes. After 10 minutes you can smash the strawberries with a potato masher which will produce a slightly thicker, “fruitier” syrup.

3 Remove from heat and allow the pan to cool for 15 minutes before straining the strawberry mixture through a fine mesh strainer. 2 ways for straining: Method 1: place a strainer over a tall pot and let all the syrup drain through the strawberries, stirring occasionally, which will produce a clearer and thinner syrup. Method 2: Use the back of a spoon or ladle to squeeze the syrup through the strainer into a bowl, which will result in some of the strawberry being pushed through, creating a thicker syrup. Stir in vanilla extract, butter extract, almond extract, and a very small pinch of salt. Transfer into a smaller container, and store in the fridge until needed.

4 To make each dirty soda, fill a glass with ice, and pour in 2 ounces of cream soda. Fill the glass the rest of the way with strawberry sparkling water, or strawberry soda if you want something sweeter, leaving a half inch unfilled at the top. Pour in 3 to 4 tablespoons strawberry syrup, and stir everything with a spoon for a few seconds. Top of with a splash of half and half. Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with chopped dehydrated strawberries or chopped fresh strawberries.