Yes, I do have a food blog, but I thought I'd share this simple recipe with everyone over here. I was invited to a dinner this evening and volunteered to bring a dessert. Since strawberries are in season along the mid-Atlantic coast right now, and will be for the next couple of weeks, strawberry shortcake is a perfect seasonal dessert.
A typical strawberry shortcake is traditionally biscuits, strawberries and whipped cream. For most versions, you sprinkle sugar on the berries, which brings out the juice, and leave them for a half an hour or so. This recipe kicks it up a notch, with the addition of chiffonaded mint leaves and orange zest. Add this when you add the sugar.
The orange and mint cut the sweetness of the berries and add a sophisticated dimension to the fruit. I found the recipe here. 
Every speck of the dessert disappeared (and the dog snagged one of the biscuits!).
Every speck of the dessert disappeared (and the dog snagged one of the biscuits!).
What a great idea Meg. Of all the variations on that delicious stand by I could think up, a mint chiffonade and orange zest is not one I would have come up with in a million years. Brilliant! I'm saving this idea in my recipe file.
ReplyDeletemy favorite dessert!!!
ReplyDeleteOne slight improvement: Toast the shortcake. It makes all the difference in the world.
ReplyDeleteAL... I didn't do that last night since I'd just made the biscuits. But it's a great suggestion.
ReplyDeleteBeing a southerner by birth and childhood, biscuits are indeed a sacred thing. One day while rereading James Beards' biscuit options I read his mother made biscuits using whipping cream instead of butter. I thought what about both? I now use Plugra and whipping cream (rather than milk). The difference is amazing. Kudos to Connor. One smart dog. Mint and orange are a lovely marriage.
ReplyDeleteThat looks so yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteI love strawberry shortcake and always made it for my mother for her birthday in May, since she always had it as a child then.
ReplyDeleteAs for James Beard's mother. My God, but I've gotten good recipes off of him, via his Mommma. I saved one for an overly rich crab dip that involved a lot of crab, butter and crushed cracker. He wrote very lovingly of how sensible a cook his mother was and shared many of her recipes over time.
I love the idea of adding zest and mint. It takes the dessert to a new level. Now I have to go look at your food blog. Mine is a mess and neglected, waiting on me to learn how to set it up to look attractive.
HBD... The recipe I've linked here has whipping cream in the biscuits. I cheated, since it was a "school night" and didn't make biscuits from scratch.
ReplyDeleteConnor is too well-mannered to snag food off the table, but someone else's dog isn't! Food-snagging is a new habit for my hostess's dog.
Cube... Send the link to your food blog. Mine's the poor neglected step child, but it gets most of the press!
ReplyDeleteA little balsamic vinegar in the strawberries is really good too.
ReplyDeleteKathy... balsamic vinegar and ground black pepper is an incredibly good combination.
ReplyDeleteWe're going strawberry picking tomorrow in the Shenandoah. Can't wait to make this when we get home!
ReplyDeleteYum! Yum!
ReplyDeleteoh yum. of course, it's 1am and now i can't get the thought of this out of my mind...
ReplyDeleteyou can improve "not from scratch biscuits by adding sour cream and seltzer water to the mix...light fluffy and flavorful. I also like to use a vanilla bean in the with the sugar...its that, HMM what is that?
ReplyDeleteMeg -- I want you to come down here and help me entertain :)
ReplyDeleteThat is one smart pooch!
ReplyDelete