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Berry Sweet
As a child of the 80’s, my childhood is filled with memories of Strawberry Shortcake. Not the actual recipe, but those cute little scented dolls and scratch n’ sniff stickers inspired by sweet deserts that lived in Berry Bitty City. Do you remember Strawberry Shortcake, Blueberry Muffin, Huckleberry Pie, Lemon Meringue, Apple Dumplin’, Plum Puddin’ and Raspberry Tart? In honor of those berry sweet memories and just in time for the spring season, here is the perfect Strawberry Shortcake recipe…not too sweet…an amazing combination of crumbly cake, sweet cream and fresh berries.
Recipe adapted from loveandoliveoil.com
Ingredients:
Cream Shortcake Biscuits:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon of coarse sprinkling sugar (optional)
Filling:
4 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 cup sugar
(If you are feeling especially sweet, add a handful of blueberries and blackberries for a jumbleberry alternative)
Topping:
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon powdered sugar, or to taste
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional). Extra berries for garnish
Directions:
Start with the strawberry filling as the berries need time to produce juice. In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries and sugar. Remove 1 cup of the strawberry mixture, and purée it in a blender or food processor. Return the purée to the rest of the strawberries; stir. Set aside at least 15 minutes.
To make shortcake biscuits, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingertips (I use my fingers). The pieces should be the size of small peas. Measure cream; set aside 1 tablespoon. Add the remaining cream to the flour, and stir with a fork until the mixture just comes together.
Lightly knead the dough a few times in the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured board, and roll out about 3/4 inch thick. Cut six 2 1/2-inch circles or squares out of the dough. Reroll and cut any remaining scraps. Recipe should yield 6-8 shortcakes. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and brush the tops with the tablespoon of cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake shortcakes for 17 minutes or until lightly golden.
For the cream, whip together the cream, vanilla and sugar until it starts to form soft peaks.
To assemble, gently break the biscuits in half. Spoon the strawberry mixture onto the bottom half, and add a dollop of whipped cream. Top with the other biscuit half, and dust with powdered sugar. Garnish with a sliced strawberry. A sprig of fresh mint or basil would also be lovely as a final touch.
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