One of our favorite ways to enjoy fresh strawberries is as strawberry shortcake -- the biscuit kind, not the cake kind. We grew up with this treat, so its seasonal comeback revives all kinds of wonderful memories in addition to all the great tastes! In this recipe, chopped strawberries are added to the biscuit dough, which makes the biscuits sweeter, and the biscuit color a lovely shade of pink!
Sweet Biscuit Strawberry Shortcake
Makes 8-10 shortcakes
SWEET STRAWBERRY BISCUITS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 pint strawberries (1 cup, finely chopped)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter, melted
STRAWBERRY FILLING:
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
WHIPPED CREAM INGREDIENTS:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or piece of parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and lemon zest. Add the chopped strawberries, gently stirring to distribute.
3. In large bowl, stir together the milk and buttermilk. Slowly add the milk to the flour mixture and stir a couple of times until barely combined.
4. Pour in the melted butter and continue to fold in until combined. Do not over mix. It will be a coarse dough, and rather sticky.
5. Drop spoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet in 8 equal portions. Bake biscuits for 18-20 minutes, or until baked through and the top and edges begin to turn golden brown. Cool on the pan for five minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
6. While the biscuits are baking, prepare the strawberries by hulling and slicing. Combine the citrus juices and honey in a small bowl, whisk until the honey is dissolved.
7. Pour the honey-sweetened juice over the sliced strawberries and toss to evenly coat the berries. Let the sweetened strawberries stand and macerate while the biscuits bake.
8. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the whipping cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Split the biscuits and add a layer of strawberries. Add the biscuit top, and place a generous dollop of whipped cream.