Strawberry Shortcake

The beginning of strawberry season is alway exciting in my book. And I personally think strawberries are the best as the season begins. Which makes strawberry shortcake one of my favorite mother's day treats. 

 I'm partial to an old fashioned strawberry shortcake made with homemade biscuits, lightly sweetened whipped cream and generously topped with freshly cut strawberries. 

This is a simple, yet oh so delicious recipe you'll want to revisit again and again.

 For the Biscuits

A quick note about this gluten free biscuit recipe… these are seriously the real deal. Buttery, flakey and you won’t feel like your settling for second best as is often the case with many gluten free bread products. It’s a recipe I got from Chef James Barry and it won’t let you down. So go ahead and invest in some of the ingredients you may not have in your pantry because you’ll want to make them again. And if you’re a shortcake lover, you can skip the cobbler and go straight there.

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces

⅓ cup millet flour

⅓ cup + ½ cup cassava flour

⅓ cup arrowroot

1 tsp potato starch

1 tsp xantham gum or grass fed gelatin

1 Tlb baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp sea salt

2 - 3 teaspoons organic raw sugar + more for tops (optional. I add this when making biscuits for cobbler and shortcakes but omit when making them as a side to a savory meal like Thanksgiving dinner or chicken pot pie).

¾ cup buttermilk

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. To prepare the berries, place in a bowl and toss with the sugar and flour. Set aside.

2. To make the dough, combine all the ingredients except the butter and buttermilk. Stir using a whisk or a fork to combine. Add the butter into the flour mix, using clean hands or a pastry blender, combine well. Should be a similar consistency to sand or coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk and gently mix until dough is mixed together. On either parchment paper or a cutting board wrapped in plastic, gather the dough into a thick slab. About the thickness of a ¼ size measuring cup. Dip the measuring cup into some arrowroot and then cut rounds out of the dough. Form any leftovers into a round using your hands.

3. Place the biscuits about an inch apart on a baking sheet and place into the oven for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden. Make sure the bottoms don’t burn.

4. Let cool before assembling your shortcakes.

For the Strawberries:

• 3 - 4 cups sliced organic strawberries

• 1-2 tablespoons unrefined organic coconut sugar

In a small bowl, combine the strawberries and sugar. Mash the berries a bit to release the juices, and allow to sit at least 15 minutes before assembling shortcakes.

For the Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup organic heavy cream (I like Straus)

• 1 - 2 tablespoons raw unfiltered honey

• 1 teaspoon organic vanilla

In a stand mixer or with an hand held mixer, whip the cream, honey, and vanilla until stiff peaks have formed.

Assembly

Slice the biscuits horizontally to separate. Place a generous dollop of whipped cream onto your bottom biscuit, then your berries and top with the top biscuit.