This Easy Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Recipe Uses Basil (!)
Here are three reasons why you should pay attention to this recipe: 1. Everything is made from scratch, which means it's instantly elevated above any old store-bought shortcake situation you could put together, 2. it uses typically savory basil, which gives this simple traditional dessert some much-needed intrigue, and 3. it's done in under an hour. Still not convinced? Your loss.
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Strawberry Basil Shortcake
Total Time: 45 min
Yield: #6
INGREDIENTS:
- 16 oz. strawberries, rinsed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 4 cups whole wheat flour
- 4 Tablespoons sugar
- 5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/8 cup butter, melted
DIRECTIONS:
- Hull the strawberries and slice them in half.
- Put most of the strawberries in a bowl and gently smash them to release their juices. Add the rest of the strawberries and the sugar, and mix. Set to the side.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- Cut cold butter into chunks.
- Using your fingertips, mix the butter into the flour mixture until it reaches a crumble-like consistency.
- Add the heavy cream and incorporate into the flour mixture.
- Transfer to a floured surface and knead the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. Using a cup or a biscuit cutter, cut out 4 rounds and add them to a baking sheet with parchment paper on it.
- Mix up the remaining dough to re-use it and cut two more round from it.
- Brush melted butter over the rounds.
- Bake at 400 degrees F until golden, 18 minutes. Once done, let cool.
- Meanwhile, make your whipped cream by shaking 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream in a chilled jar for 3 minutes. Add a drop of vanilla extract and continue shaking until desired consistency -- another 2-3 minutes.
- Finish your strawberry mixture by cutting the basil and mixing it in with the strawberries.
- Cut your shortcakes in half.
- Add strawberries to the bottom half, add the top half of the shortbread and spoon more strawberries on top -- topped with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh basil leaves.
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