Thank you for another lovely episode featuring strawberry shortcake—one of my favourite summertime desserts!
Where I grew up, biscuit-type strawberry shortcake was most definitely the norm. Furthermore, the biscuits were of the soft—not flaky—variety. We always used local strawberries (like Cavendish) instead of the imported varieties in the supermarket that look pretty, but taste meh. These local varieties tend to be smaller, with a firm texture, a deep red colour, and are sweet once fully ripe.
Unlike the assembly instructions in the Preppy Kitchen recipe, growing up we usually only slightly sweetened the whipped cream with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, and macerated just half the strawberries. Sometimes we left the biscuit dough unsweetened as well since the liquid from the macerated strawberries sinks into the biscuit to sweeten it. It really is a matter of personal preference. To assemble, we would halve the biscuit so that the dessert consisted of a layer of biscuit, a layer of macerated strawberries, a layer biscuit, a layer of whipped cream, and finally topped with plain strawberries (sliced depending on size). The biscuit itself was also much smaller (2”) than the size given in the Preppy Kitchen recipe (3”), which I feel made for a lighter dessert overall.
This was my first time using a Preppy Kitchen recipe, although the algorithm has often recommended his recipes. The biscuit was decent, but it didn’t win me over. I will continue to use my go-to biscuit recipe (see below!).
I agree with Liz that unless you fold the dough as she explained, you will not get the flaky layers that this recipe is supposed to produce.
Unfortunately, my dough was too sticky and wet to fold and I think it would have worked better as drop biscuits. In order to cut biscuits I had to incorporate more flour as I rolled it out. The texture could be for two reasons: (1) I used Canadian AP flour which has a higher protein content than bleached US AP flour, and (2) I artificially soured my 2% milk (following the recipe instructions) instead of using buttermilk. Although artificially soured milk is a go-to substitute for buttermilk, it has a thinner consistency.
If I were to use this recipe again, I would skip brushing the biscuits with cream—it slows the browning which is what gives the biscuits flavour.
Even though I am a fan of the soft biscuit-type of strawberry shortcake, I also really enjoy
Japanese style strawberry shortcake when it is made with quality ingredients (i.e.: real cream instead of edible oil product). According to some accounts, Japanese strawberry shortcake was inspired by the American biscuit version, but there have been a lot of changes along the way. Today it’s usually a layered sponge cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Of course, Japanese strawberry varieties differ from those in North America, so it’s hard to completely replicate the taste, but if you are looking for a light strawberry cake to celebrate the season, it’s a great option!
Here is my go-to recipe for biscuits:
“Best Ever Biscuits”
From The Peninsula Farm Yogurt Cookbook by Sonia Jones (Pottersfield Press, 1988)
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup yogurt
(for shortcake, you can add up to ½ cup lightly packed brown sugar)
1. Preheat oven to 425*F (220*C)
2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl
3. Using pastry blender, chop up the butter into the mixture until the dry ingredients become damp and the lumps of butter have almost vanished.
4. Stir the mixture while adding enough yogurt to make a dough that is soft, but not sticky.
5. Knead gently about 20 times on a lightly floured board.
6. Roll dough to a thickness of one-half inch (1 cm), and cut into rounds (I use a 2” cutter).
7. Place on greased baking sheet and bake 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Thank you for another lovely episode featuring strawberry shortcake—one of my favourite summertime desserts!
Where I grew up, biscuit-type strawberry shortcake was most definitely the norm. Furthermore, the biscuits were of the soft—not flaky—variety. We always used local strawberries (like Cavendish) instead of the imported varieties in the supermarket that look pretty, but taste meh. These local varieties tend to be smaller, with a firm texture, a deep red colour, and are sweet once fully ripe.
Unlike the assembly instructions in the Preppy Kitchen recipe, growing up we usually only slightly sweetened the whipped cream with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, and macerated just half the strawberries. Sometimes we left the biscuit dough unsweetened as well since the liquid from the macerated strawberries sinks into the biscuit to sweeten it. It really is a matter of personal preference. To assemble, we would halve the biscuit so that the dessert consisted of a layer of biscuit, a layer of macerated strawberries, a layer biscuit, a layer of whipped cream, and finally topped with plain strawberries (sliced depending on size). The biscuit itself was also much smaller (2”) than the size given in the Preppy Kitchen recipe (3”), which I feel made for a lighter dessert overall.
This was my first time using a Preppy Kitchen recipe, although the algorithm has often recommended his recipes. The biscuit was decent, but it didn’t win me over. I will continue to use my go-to biscuit recipe (see below!).
I agree with Liz that unless you fold the dough as she explained, you will not get the flaky layers that this recipe is supposed to produce.
Unfortunately, my dough was too sticky and wet to fold and I think it would have worked better as drop biscuits. In order to cut biscuits I had to incorporate more flour as I rolled it out. The texture could be for two reasons: (1) I used Canadian AP flour which has a higher protein content than bleached US AP flour, and (2) I artificially soured my 2% milk (following the recipe instructions) instead of using buttermilk. Although artificially soured milk is a go-to substitute for buttermilk, it has a thinner consistency.
If I were to use this recipe again, I would skip brushing the biscuits with cream—it slows the browning which is what gives the biscuits flavour.
Even though I am a fan of the soft biscuit-type of strawberry shortcake, I also really enjoy
Japanese style strawberry shortcake when it is made with quality ingredients (i.e.: real cream instead of edible oil product). According to some accounts, Japanese strawberry shortcake was inspired by the American biscuit version, but there have been a lot of changes along the way. Today it’s usually a layered sponge cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Of course, Japanese strawberry varieties differ from those in North America, so it’s hard to completely replicate the taste, but if you are looking for a light strawberry cake to celebrate the season, it’s a great option!
Here is my go-to recipe for biscuits:
“Best Ever Biscuits”
From The Peninsula Farm Yogurt Cookbook by Sonia Jones (Pottersfield Press, 1988)
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup yogurt
(for shortcake, you can add up to ½ cup lightly packed brown sugar)
1. Preheat oven to 425*F (220*C)
2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl
3. Using pastry blender, chop up the butter into the mixture until the dry ingredients become damp and the lumps of butter have almost vanished.
4. Stir the mixture while adding enough yogurt to make a dough that is soft, but not sticky.
5. Knead gently about 20 times on a lightly floured board.
6. Roll dough to a thickness of one-half inch (1 cm), and cut into rounds (I use a 2” cutter).
7. Place on greased baking sheet and bake 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
YIELD: 13 biscuits