Sugar High Friday: Delicious Berries

This month’s Sugar High Friday event is hosted by Susan at Food Blogga.  Given it is the height of summer here in the northern hemisphere, it seems only right that the theme this month is berries.

I’ve been craving Strawberry Shortcake for months now.  It was a summer favourite in my family while I was growing up. I’ve been telling Rich I’d make some for weeks, but never really got around to it. However, today was one of those lazy Sundays – rainy, grey, and a good day to stay in and get some things done around the house.  Lucky for me, Rich was willing to run to the grocery store for strawberries for me so I could make these.

I took the base recipe from Cooking Light, but modified it to my own tastes.

Strawberry Shortcake

3 1/2 cups strawberries, quartered
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup vanilla soymilk

Combine 1 cup of the strawberries, 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice in a bowl, and mash with a potato masher. Stir in remaining strawberries (unmashed).

Preheat oven to 425F.

Combine flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; cut in margarine with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add soymilk, stirring just until moist.  Dough will be sticky.

Divide mixture into 6 equal parts and shape into biscuits/rounds.  Place onto a greased cookie sheet, or use a silpat on your cookie sheet like I did.  Bake at 425° for 12 minutes.  Allow to cool before assembling your desserts.

When cool: cut shortcakes in half with a serrated knife.  Place bottom into a dish and top with some of the strawberry mixture.  Top with other half of shortcake, and put more strawberry mixture on top.

Serve with a generous dollup of whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt, or as we did, with ‘soy cream’.

Makes 6 servings.