RECIPE: Waimea Strawberry Shortcake

An All-American favorite during the summer and relatively quick and easy too!  To keep the dish summery, add in any additional seasonal fruits.

Ingredients:

Strawberries

4 pints strawberries, lightly rinsed, hulled, and halved

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon sugar

6 shortcakes (recipe below) for serving

6 whole strawberries for garnish

Shortcakes

2 cups unbleached white flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces

3/4 cup of milk

Directions:

For the shortcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
3. Add the butter. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, rub it into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in the milk until a very soft dough is formed. Do not overwork.
4. Drop the dough in 6 equal portions onto the prepared baking sheet. Lightly pat the dough into rounds—3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter.
5. Bake the shortcakes in the center of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

For the Strawberries:

1. Place strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar, then gently toss with a rubber spatula.
2. Just before serving, whip cream with 1 Tbsp sugar until it holds soft peaks.
3. To serve, slice off the top third of each shortcake. Place the bottoms on 6 plates and top with 1/3 cup of the prepared berries and juice, plus a spoonful of whipped cream. Cover with the top. Spoon over more berries and juice, then dollop with whipped cream. Garnish each with a whole berry and drizzle with any remaining juice.

This post has been a contribution by Kristin Frost Albrecht on behalf of The Food Basket, Hawai’i Island’s Food Bank.