After your festival shortcake from this year’s annual Lion’s Club Strawberry Festival, try this version that will be the perfect beginning to summer for you and your guests.
There is nothing that says summer like strawberries and rhubarb. This is a great dessert that you can prepare ahead and serve for a dinner party or casual cook out. I love the tang in rhubarb with both sweet and savory dishes. In this recipe we add fresh strawberries which are so plentiful at this time of year. I suggest pairing with Juan Sepulveda’s sparkling Moscato from Laurel Lake. This bubbly Moscato is slightly sweet with flavors of honeydew and floral nose. It’s a perfect after dinner bubbly with this light summer dessert.
Recipe
Fruit topping
In a bowl: 1 pint local strawberries or your favorite berry. If strawberry, remove tops and stems and slice. Toss with another tablespoon of agave syrup and one tablespoon of Cassis liquor or syrup and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
In a pot: 5 stalks local Rhubarb, cut and cooked in 1 cup of light Agave syrup for 15 minutes (do not add water).
Once cooled, add fresh strawberries and mix berries with Rhubarb and refridgerate until ready to fill shortcake.
Shortcake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 large eggs – divided use
One cup of whipping cream, visit our post “how to whip cream”
Short cake
In large bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add cut, soften (not melted) butter and rub together until mixture resembles coarse meal and set aside.
In separate bowl blend buttermilk, orange peel, 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk. Stir into flour mixture to make a soft dough.
Forget the “shortcake” you see in the supermarket! These should look like biscuits.
Divide you dough into 6 to 8 portions depending on the size you like.
On floured board pat each into a 3-inch circle. Place on greased baking sheet. Brush generously with remaining egg whites, beaten. Sprinkle with some crunchy granules of Turbinadano sugar for texture.
Bake in 450°F (230°C) oven 10 to 12 minutes until golden. Remove from pan; cool on rack.
Slice each shortcake in half horizontally with a sharp knife. Fill and garnish with strawberries and whipped cream.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
For more information on the Strawberry Festival, visit our post https://seasonedfork.com/57th-annual-mattituck-strawberry-festival.
