Long days, strawberry shortcake nights
During the strawberry’s brief yet vibrant season, I try to eat them every day. I eat them with balsamic vinegar. I eat them in pies. I eat them in salads. I eat them with granola. I eat them with yogurt. I eat them with cream. And, of course, I eat them by themselves. But my favorite way to eat strawberries is in that classic concoction: strawberry shortcake.
Strawberry shortcake is a simple dish—a sliced biscuit, lightly sweetened strawberries and fluffy, whipped cream are its only requirements. I grew up eating this as my mom loves to make strawberry shortcake and hers is the best. And I’m not alone in my opinion, as I’ve seen others sigh when their shortcake bowls have been spooned clean.
The sad thing, however, is that when I was a kid I didn’t realize I was eating proper strawberry shortcake. Randall’s Supermarket sold round yellow sponge-cake cups and called them shortcakes. (They were only a about an inch high, so they were, indeed, short). And because I was gullible, I was mislead into believing that they were the real deal and what my mom was serving me was incorrect. Not that it mattered, because I still preferred her shortcake. The packaged sponge-cake kind never satisfied as the juice and cream turned the cakes into a soggy mush; you need the heft of a biscuit to carry the weight.
As longtime readers are well aware, I love to make biscuits. But my mom has always been more of a scone maker than a biscuit maker and so I was curious what recipe she used for her shortcakes. She surprised me when she said that it had probably come from The Complete American-Jewish Cookbook by Anne London and Bertha Kahn Bishov. It turns out that this is one of her most cherished cookbooks, the source of many of her favorite recipes. Who knew that an Episcopal priest could be such a fan of kosher cooking?
Now if you’re an avid plant person like myself (my thumb’s not completely green yet, but I keep trying!), you probably have mint and basil overtaking your windowsills, fire escapes or gardens. Fortunately, they both complement the sweetness of the berries, so I’ve enjoyed adding them to my whipped cream; ginger also gives a spicy kick. I’ve also been known to use sweetened Greek-style yogurt instead of whipped cream with my shortcake. Its thick texture and tart flavor make it a terrific vehicle for the berries’ juice.
So yes, this is a simple recipe and a simple dish without much of a story. But it never fails to please me and since it’s my birthday, I thought I’d share some of it with you.
How do you like to eat your strawberries?
Strawberry shortcake
Ingredients
- 2 pints strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 8 biscuits
Instructions
- Toss the strawberries with the sugar in a bowl, and leave out at room temperature for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the cream into a chilled bowl, and whip with either a whisk, eggbeater or mixer until thickened (be careful to not whip it too much or you’ll turn it into butter!). Gently stir in the honey and vanilla. Cover and chill until ready to use (though if it sits too long it will revert back to its liquid state and will need to be whipped again).
- Cut each biscuit in half, and on the bottom half place some strawberries and whipped cream. Put the top half on and add some more berries and cream.
Yum Yum Yum Yum
The strawberries in my part of Texas have been sporting their bling all over the grocery stores here are they are super sweet. You know they’re good when they are a deep red and when you slice them the red has permeated all the way through to the core of the berry!
I LOVE STRAWBERRY SEASON!
This strawberry shortcake looks great! Did you use your world famous biscuit recipe?
I have to admit that I didn’t know that shortcake should be biscuit-y rather than sponge-y until I was in high school. I adored those soggy, syrupy messy sponge-cake cups, but more than anything, I loved the whipped cream. Mmmmm.
We’ve been getting amazing strawberries over the last few weeks here (I’m a fellow Tex-patriate imprisoned in NC! Oh, NO!), so perhaps I will have to try some biscuit-style strawberry shortcakes. Thanks for the inspiration!
Happy birthday! I’m with you; strawberry shortcake is one of the best possible uses for good strawberries (and makes me envy people with June birthdays). And it should be a fresh-baked biscuit, not cake. Strawberry gelato is huge in my house when strawberries are at their best, red all the way through. I like sliced strawberries on top of a still-warm lemon curd tart. And just with yogurt in the morning. And cooked to make a strawberry syrup to flavor lemonade. Or cooked to make a little compote and served over ice cream. And… well, you might guess I’m a berry fan.
This is interesting. I’ve never been a huge fan of strawberry shortcake for some odd reason. I like all the ingredients (who doesn’t?) but the sum of them together puts me off. I think I’ve realized it’s because I’ve only had it using the spongy/cakey base which inevitably turns into a damp, grainy mess! I think the biscuit is the answer. I love Southerners! Is there anything you are not good for?
Kara–Thanks and you’re welcome!
Frank–Thanks! Isn’t it the best?
Aaress–Muchas gracias!
Debra–Oh yum, I’ll have to try that
Lisa–I’m thinking there may be blueberry shortcake in my future.
Natalie–I think angel-food cake has a bit more heft than those sponge cakes. And who cares if you’re favorite store-bought one comes from Kroger!
Jodie–Yes! I can’t wait to see that recipe!
Tace–The bigger the bowl, the better!
Ann–Ah yes, great minds think alike! And I don’t know about buttermilk whipped cream, but I have made buttermilk ice cream, and it’s outstanding with fresh, summer fruit.
Rosa–Thank you!
AT–I think it would taste fantastic, especially if you threw some slivered almonds into your biscuit recipe.
Talida–I love chile peppers with mangos–I can’t wait to try some with my strawberries!
Eonyc–Nope, Randalls failed in the shortcake department.
Kalyn–That is a fun coincidence! Happy birthday to your niece!
Spicyskillet–Yes! One of my favorite breakfasts is a bowl of strawberries with half and half. That’s healthy, right?
Jen–Chocolate whipped cream? Now that’s decadent!
Lydia–I love them with balsamic reduction,too. What kind of sugar do you use? Plain or brown?
Plum Texan–Happy birthday, my fellow June Baby!
Kathryn Bircher–I don’t know about your family, but I think the strawberry kiss sounds heavenly!
GlassGirl–Wow! Now that’s a birthday cake!
Amy–It’s never too late to start. And happy, happy birthday!
DeceiverofMen–Muchas gracias!
Julie–Yes! You definitely need that bit of salt to balance out the sweetness.
Berry Blissful–I haven’t made jam yet, but that’s next on my list!
Nataleerae–OK, that does it–next time I’m in Texas I have to go to the Stagecoach Inn.
Janna–The ones I get from this one farmer are so red all the way through they look like jewels. And yep, I used my biscuit recipe!
Kate–You’re welcome–it’s pretty different from the sponge cakes, but very delicious–hope you enjoy it!
Meg–You are quite the connoisseur! And now I need a lemon-curd tart!
Acme Instant Food–Try it with a biscuit. If you’re still not convinced–I’ll make you some Tex-Mex instead!