thenextmile

I went on a bit of a summer fruit buying spree yesterday.  There’s nothing better than Michigan produce in the summer, and one highlight for me each year is strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and sweet cherries.  While I wasn’t able to get my hands on any raspberries yet (hopefully tomorrow or next week), I brought home 8 quarts of strawberries, 10 lbs. of blueberries and a few quarts of sweet cherries yesterday.  And I’m sure more of each will be on the way.

One of my favorite recipes this time of year is for Strawberry Shortcake.  I found this recipe a couple years ago, and it’s not only easy, but also makes the best tasting shortcakes I’ve ever had.  And if you are fortunate enough to have really great strawberries, you really don’t even need to sugar them or mix in the orange juice.  Enjoy.

3 1/2 cups halved strawberries, divided
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
Cooking spray
6 tablespoons frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
Whole strawberries (optional)

Preparation

Combine 1 cup strawberry halves, 1/3 cup sugar, orange juice, vanilla, and lemon juice in a bowl, and mash with a potato masher. Stir in 2 1/2 cups strawberry halves. Cover and chill.Preheat oven to 425°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 4 times with floured hands. Pat dough into a 6 x 4-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 6 squares. Place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Split shortcakes in half horizontally using a serrated knife; place each bottom half on a dessert plate. Spoon 1/4 cup strawberry mixture over each bottom half. Top with shortcake tops; spoon 1/4 cup strawberry mixture over each top. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon whipped topping; garnish with whole strawberries, if desired.

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