Strawberry Shortcakes
with Fresh Mint
THE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS:
- For berry topping:
- 1 lb Strawberries
- 3 sprigs Mint
- 1 tbsp Granulated sugar
- For cakes:
- 1 tbsp Granulated sugar
- 1 1/3 Cups Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 8oz Heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp Large-grain sugar
- For whipped cream:
- 8oz Heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp Granulated sugar
ABOUT THE RECIPE:
We put a twist on old-fashioned strawberry shortcake and added in fresh mint. Juicy macerated strawberries provide the ideal contrast to thick whipped cream and a dense, buttery biscuit.
DID YOU KNOW?
In the 1850s, Americans threw strawberry shortcake parties to celebrate the summer fruit harvest. The popular biscuit-and-fruit dessert was served hot with butter and sweetened cream. Leave it to the French to amp up the decadence: In 1910, pastry chefs replaced the topping with whipped heavy cream. Ooh la la.
BAKING ADVICE:
Back in the day all recipes were done by hand, so it’s fine if you don’t have an electric mixer. It will take a bit more time, but you get a nice arm workout!
If you aren’t serving all the shortcakes at once, save extra whipped cream and berry-mint mixture in separate containers. Shortcakes get soggy if assembled too far in advance.
YOUR INGREDIENTS
STEP 1
Wow, you’ve got some beautiful ingredients! Once you’ve unpacked your Red Velvet kit, preheat oven to 400°F. Wash and dry strawberries and mint. Cut off stems and cut each berry into quarters. Finely chop mint into thin strips.
STEP 2
In a small bowl, mix berries and mint with granulated sugar (for topping). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so that juices can develop.
STEP 3
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar (for cakes), and salt. Add heavy cream (for cakes) and mix with a large spoon until just combined. Place mixture in an ungreased 8-inch round (or square) pan and sprinkle with large-grain sugar. Bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.
STEP 4
Remove shortcake from pan and place on a wire rack to cool slightly. Cut into 6 equal pieces using a serrated knife. When cool, cut each piece in half horizontally to make a shortcake “sandwich.”
STEP 5
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream and sugar (for whipped cream) until soft peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes.
STEP 6
When ready to serve, spoon 1 or 2 large dollops of whipped cream onto each shortcake bottom. Add strawberry-mint mixture. Place shortcake top to close the “sandwich.” Spoon more whipped cream, berries, and juice on top, and serve.
