A craving sets in this time of year for the first Spring Tennessee strawberries. This week baskets and baskets arrived at my local, downtown Nashville Farmer’s Market. Juicy and plump with the wonderful variations in shape and size not seen in supermarket berries.
Aren’t they beautiful?
Cut up and gently tossed with raw sugar awaiting a shortcake.
I am not a big fan of store-bought shortcakes when it is so easy to make my own. I enjoy a shortcake with a bit of texture and flavor which I get by adding cornmeal to the mixture. Buttery & barely sweet with a bit of crunch. Soft enough to soak up those berry juices.
Light golden brown right from the oven.
Here….have a bite. Treat yourself…strawberry season doesn’t last long. It’s as Easy-As-This!
Sugared Strawberries with Sweetened Cornmeal Shortcakes
Ingredients:
- 1 quart of local strawberries, capped, sliced
- a few tablespoons of raw sugar, to taste for berries + 1 tablespoon for the shortcake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup heavy, cold cream
- Ice cream or whipped cream, optional
Directions:
- Toss sliced berries with a few tablespoons raw sugar to taste. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Whisk together remaining 1 tablespoon raw sugar, the flour, cornmeal, baking powder & salt.
- Work cold butter into the flour mix using your fingers or a pastry cutter.
- Drizzle heavy cream over the top of the flour and stir to bring together to form a somewhat wet dough. Use your fingers to bring together into a ball. Knead a few times.
- Pat dough out into a rectangle about 10-12 inches x 5 inches. Cut into 6 pieces and place on a baking pan lined with parchment.
- Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and puffy. Remove to cool on a rack.
- Serve cornmeal warm or room temperature shortcakes split open and topped with juicy strawberries. Add a scoop of ice cream of a dollop of whipped cream if desired.
Teresa Blackburn www.teresablackburnfoodstyling.com http://www.foodonfifth.com
Oh my, this is my kind of dessert. I love the shortcakes.
These are really, really good shortcakes. I like them plain as well…like a scone.
love this & your galette….only wish our mexican strawberries were as good as yours!!!!
Thanks Sweet Barbara, I know it is just too warm for great berries down South right now and it has been a great crop here due to really fab weather. Love to you and Johan…PS. Wouter had a great time with you guys.
So simple, yet elegant!
Isn’t that just the best type of dessert. Thanks for stopping by.
Best. Time. Of. The. Year.
So. True! Thanks Michelle.
Simply perfect!
Johanne Lamarche
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Big thanks to you as always Johanne.
those first strawberries are always the best, sweet juicy and red-red all the way through!
Yes absolutely. Everything we imagine a good strawberry to be. Good season this year. xxox