Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry season is here. That means strawberry shortcakes. They’re a summer staple that can be dressed up or casual. Biscuits, berries, and cream, and that’s it. Get out to those local strawberry patches for those flavor-packed berries. And of course, make some shortcakes.

If you don’t like all the talking you can skip to the printable recipe card bellow 

Recipe

Ingredients

strawberry sauce

• strawberries for sauce 2 1/2 C(262g)
• Water 1/4C (100g)
• honey 4Tbsp (88g)
• rosemary 1/2 sprig (3g)
• clove 1/8 tsp
• allspice 1/8 tsp

• strawberries for serving 1 1/4 C (131)
• sugar 2 Tbsp (25g)

Whipped creme fraiche

• creme fraiche 1 1/4 C (340g)
• sugar 2 tbsp (25g)
• vanilla 1/4 tsp (1g)

Biscuits

• all-purpose flour 2 C (275g)
• baking powder 2 tsp (10g)
• sugar 2 Tbsp (24g)
• salt 1/8 tsp (1g)
• cold butter 4 oz (113g)
• butter milk 1C (232)

Procedure

Strawberry sauce

Simmer 1 cup of strawberries, honey, and rosemary on low for 15 minutes.
Chill for another 15 minutes. Remove the rosemary stem and pulse in a food processor with the other cup of strawberries.
puree should still be chunky
Chill and reserve for later.

Slice the strawberries for serving in half and mix with 2 tsp of sugar. Save for later use.

Biscuits

Add the dry ingredients to a bowl with small cubed butter. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes, along with buttermilk in a separate container.
Mix dry and butter on low for 2 minutes until butter is broken and crumby.
At the lowest mixing speed add the buttermilk. Mix just until evenly incorporated.
Transfer to a floured surface and kneed until smooth. let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 425.
vigorously whisk the egg and honey together.
Roll the biscuit dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Cut 6 squares from the dough.
Brush with egg wash and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
cool and enjoy

Whipped crhfeme Fraiche

Add the creme fraiche and sugar to a bowl and whisk together. Avoid overmixing.

Assembly

Slice the biscuits in half and add a dollop of whipped creme fraiche on each half
On the bottom half layer with macerated berries then strawberry sauce.
place the top half back ontop
enjoy.

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It seems like a lot of components for strawberry shortcakes but it’s easy to simplify. Making the strawberry sauce a few days ahead is your best bet. It’s just a bit less work on shortcake day. The sauce keeps well refrigerated. The whipped creme fraiche will also keep well in the fridge. If you’re making it from scratch you should plan 3 to 7 days ahead of time. Making the biscuits on the day off is best. Fresh biscuits are always better than day-old ones. Warm biscuits with cool cream and fresh berries, It’s a good contrast of temperatures. If you want to super plan ahead, just make the dough and keep in the freezer until bake day. Having a stockpile of homemade pie and biscuit dough makes life so easier and tastier.

Strawberry sauce

This recipe originally started as a simple strawberry soup. A little whipped cream and you’re set on an 80-degree day. It’s a simple recipe with a world of uses. A prime example here is the strawberry shortcakes. Toss it on toast or even a pie. It’s not exactly a jam but similar. The berries you use also make a difference. The giant symmetrical strawberries at supermarkets can be good, but they aren’t the best. Try to find the small local berries. Those are the flavor-packed ones, I promise. Support the local farmers too.

Creme Fraiche

whipped cream is great, but creme fraiche just hits different. The slight fermented tang brings a bit more character to the strawberry shortcakes. It’s a nice balance against the sweet notes. If you can’t find creme fraiche don’t worry about it. There’s a recipe here on the blog. It’s at the bottom of my potato salad recipe. Good cream, buttermilk, and that is it. While you’re at it, you might as well make buttermilk biscuits too.

Biscuits

Homemade Potato Salad

They’re a bunch of baked options for strawberry shortcakes. I think of myself as a classic man, so I walk down the biscuit road. Picking them up from the store is simple but making them is much more fun. They aren’t too hard like other baked goods and are so forgiving. It’s a great way to get friends and family involved. To me, that’s the essence of strawberry shortcakes. From the patch to the kitchen with loved ones.

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Growing up, strawberry season was a hit. My town even had a whole festival for the berry. Strawberry shortcakes are perfect for the season. Awesome on a hot summer day or cool night. If it’s way too hot you can forgo the biscuits. The strawberry puree with cream is perfect for the heat waves. Take a trip to your local farmers and markets for the good stuff. Or not if it isn’t available. All that matters is that you make something tasty strawberries and loved ones.