Strawberry Shortcake

Fresh picked Michigan strawberries - there's nothing like them in the world. They are so sweet and juicy. So, when we received the email from the local berry farm that the strawberries were ready for picking, we immediately made our plans to head out there. The hardest part of picking strawberries, besides crawling around in the hay on a hot, summer day, is stopping. They look and taste so good, you just want to keep picking all day. We managed to pick almost 12 pounds (plus what we ate while picking) before we came to our senses. 

Below are pictures of my kids, my mom and I on our big adventure. The kids had so much fun. They reminded me of me as a kid. They didn't want to leave. I promised that if we ate all the strawberries and they still wanted more, we could always go back and pick more. That did the trick. And trust me, I'll keep my promise, because I love fresh berries and the farm isn't much farther than the grocery store.

What do you do with all of those fresh berries, you ask? You make dessert! Lots of dessert - strawberry shortcake, strawberry pie, strawberry topping for ice cream . . . 

So, let's talk strawberry shortcake. Lots of people use angel food cake for strawberry shortcake. That's fine. I like angel food cake, but did you know that it takes 12 egg whites to make an angel food cake? What are you supposed to do with all of those egg yolks? I couldn't think of anything, so I decided to go with a more traditional, biscuit-type shortcake. I'm really glad I did. It tastes great, and makes a stunning presentation.

What You Will Need:
Square Baking Dish (8 x 8)
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Cooling Rack
KitchenAid Mixer with Whisk Attachment

Ingredients:
Strawberries
1 1/2 pounds Strawberries; washed, hulled & quartered
3 Tablespoons Sugar

Shortcake
3/4 cup Soy Flour
1/2 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 cup Potato Starch
1/4 cup Ground Flax Meal
1 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream (Whipping Cream)

Whipped Cream
1 cup Heavy Cream (Whipping Cream)
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:
Strawberries
1. Mix strawberries with sugar. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container.

Shortcake
1. Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 400° F. 

3. Sift together soy flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, flax, xanthum gum, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. (I measured all of my ingredients into my sifter, sifted them onto a large piece of wax paper, and transferred them to a bowl. NOTE: The flax is courser than the other ingredients, so it makes the sifting a little more difficult.)

4. Add cream to dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

5. Dump mixture into baking dish. Spread it out with slightly damp hands. The shortcake won't change shape much in the oven, so make sure to spread it to all corners of the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

This one is just a touch under done. Let it get
more golden than this.

6. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

I forgot to spray my pan, so I had to cut it
in half to remove it from the pan. You shouldn't
have to do this.

7. Cut into 6 pieces and in half horizontally.

Whipped Cream
For best results, bowl and whisk should be cold. 

1. I placed my bowl and whisk in the freezer for approximately 5 minutes.

Don't laugh. I tried to get as little of the freezer
in the picture as possible to avoid the embarrassment
that would result from you seeing what a mess it is.

2. Beat cream on medium until just before peaks form.

3. Add sugar and vanilla, and beat on high until peaks form. Don't over-beat it, or you will have sweet butter.

Strawberry Shortcake
Place one half of the shortcake on the plate, top with strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream, top with the other half of the shortcake. Admire it's beauty, take a mental picture (or a real one to post on instagram, facebook, twitter or the social media of your choice) and eat it all up!

MMMM! I think I might just have to go back and pick some more strawberries, so we can have this again. 

"The biggest mistake you could ever make is being too afraid to make one."

Sheryl