Waiting for strawberries is so hard. They are the first fruit after the winter citrus and every year it seems like it takes forever until the first ones ripen in the garden. Once the end of May/beginning of June rolls around, I start looking for the little red berries.
I refuse to buy any that were grown outside of Switzerland. Who really wants to eat strawberries in February which are more white than red, imported from who knows where, and taste like nothing? So I (sometimes not so) patiently wait until the local berries are sold. But the best ones are still the ones which are grown in my garden. They taste like strawberries should. I stick my nose in the bowl and take a deep breath. Suddenly I’m transported back to my childhood, picking the little wild strawberries which grew at my grandmother’s house. The second best ones are the Norwegian strawberries. With all the sun they get in summer, they are perfectly plump and sweet. We ate them by the basket when we were there. I think there may have even been one day where all I ate was strawberries…
In summer, my mother would cut up bowls of strawberries and whip up some cream. That would be our dessert. Simple but delicious. There are so many ways of preparing things with berries, but I think I may like the classic strawberries and cream the best. I decided it was time to try making a strawberry shortcake.
The recipe I used for the shortcakes is from Fresh New England.
Strawberry Shortcake
- 250 g flour
- 62 g sugar
- 20 g baking powder
- 60 g unsalted butter, diced
- 1 egg
- 150 ml milk
- 1 egg mixed with a splash of milk and a splash of water
- sugar for sprinkling
Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a food processor fitted with a dough attachment. Add the diced butter and pulse until mixture consists of crumbly, pea size granules.
In a separate container, beat the eggs, milk and lemon juice together. Add to food processor. Pulse until the mixture just starts to come together but is still crumbly. Turn out on to a floured counter top. Knead two or three times until the dough comes together.
Roll out into a rectangle about 2 cm thick. Cut with biscuit cutter or a glass. Brush tops with egg and water mixture and then sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 190°C until golden brown.
Cool on wire rack. Once cool, slice in half and top with fresh strawberries macerated in organic powdered sugar. Top with fresh whipped cream.
