Simple strawberry shortcakes

I've never been the person to order a fruit dessert if given a choice.  Growing up, when my friends ordered strawberry ice cream or milk shakes, I was always the one asking for chocolate.  The only thing I liked about those strawberry or fruity desserts was the color.  I'm a creature of habit and, unfortunately, not a very adventurous eater.  Luckily, I've branched out a little in recent years.  Though fruity desserts may still not be my first choice (though I do love lemon tarts), I've come to appreciate them like I never have before.

Can I tell you something?  A couple of years ago, I noticed that my mid-section (and other places) had expanded when I wasn't paying attention.  I'd never been concerned about my weight before then, just assuming my metabolism would straighten things out.  Blame it on getting older but I had to do something about it and trim down a bit.  Ironically, that was near the time I started this blog but, luckily, moderation seems to work.  Now, I don't want to get bogged down talking about weight or "diets".  What I did want to get at was the good thing that came about from paying attention to my weight and scaling back: I learned to eat (to love to eat) a lot healthier.  I enjoy fruits and vegetables like I never did before.  In trying new things and becoming more educated, I discovered that I actually like many of the healthier stuff, like whole grains, that we hear so much about.  Plus, I learned to cook more.  Of course, I still love treats and chocolate in particular, and I fully embrace it, but I have also discovered the pleasure of a plain strawberry or blueberry.

That said, I'm going to segue into dessert because while plain, in-season strawberries might be great all by themselves, sometimes you want to turn it into a special dessert (otherwise, there'd be no blog...)!  The occasion could well be Mother's Day.  A bright, colorful dessert always seems appropriate.

Now, remember those lighter and easier buttermilk biscuits I raved about?  The ones where you don't need any equipment or to roll anything out.  The last time I made them, I stowed a few away in the freezer.  I picked up some gorgeous organic strawberries from the market and made old-fashioned strawberry shortcakes.  If you go ahead and make the biscuits ahead of time, putting these shortcakes together is pretty simple.  Just bake the frozen biscuits straight from the freezer, adding a couple extra minutes to the bake time.  While the biscuits cool, macerate your strawberries with a little bit of sugar.

A dollop of whipped cream comes next.  I lightly whipped the cream with a just a bit of sugar and a touch of pure vanilla extract.

The result is a great combination of flavors and textures.  Believe it or not, the old me wouldn't have even tried it; the new me loved it!  The berries seem to bring out the buttery flavor of the biscuit.  The crunchy edges of the biscuits contrasted with the silky whipped cream.  The strawberries are just sweet enough and add a lightness to it all.  I am a fan! 

My husband has always been a fan of strawberries and shortcakes (he loves getting waffles with strawberries at the diner), and I'm happy to say he adored the ones I made here.  I just have to figure out how to get my 7-year old on board.  I think he might have inherited some of his mom's tendencies when it comes to eating (i.e., he would like to exist on a dark chocolate diet).  It makes me laugh when I think back to his first birthday when I made a strawberry shortcake - not with biscuits, the cake kind with sliced strawberries in the center and whipped cream icing.  I think I read somewhere that strawberry cakes were proper for a first birthday.  It was not a very pretty-looking cake and I don't think I took more than a bite.  Needless to say, my son wouldn't pick that now for his birthday cake but I have hopes that he'll become more adventurous in time.  For my part, I know I would take more interest in that cake now than I did then.

I think I've rambled on enough for today.  Let me just wish all you loving and well-meaning moms, future-moms, and lovely people a very Happy Mother's Day this coming weekend!

These strawberry shortcakes are pretty adaptable as far as quantity or how many you want to make.  You can pile on as many or as little strawberries as you like or as much whipped cream as you like.  And sweeten to your taste, depending on preference and how sweet your strawberries are.  The same goes for the whipped cream.  I don't think it needs much sugar (in fact, you could even omit it) but feel free to adjust it to your taste. 

Again, I highly recommend using these biscuits to start off the shortcakes.  They are lighter and so easy and quick to put together!  If you make a batch, just freeze a few and when you get your hands on some good strawberries, you can pretty easily make this dessert!  I hope you do!  

One last thought...you know chocolate-dipped strawberries, of course.  Well, how about taking a shortcut and slathering a little bit of Nutella on strawberries?  Yes, a good strawberry is wonderful all by itself but maybe for one out of the handful you're eating, a little dip in Nutella is a treat!  After making the shortcakes, I put out the rest of the strawberries we had left the next morning for Sunday breakfast.  My husband proceeded to slather his pancakes with some Nutella, followed by sliced strawberries and a little whipped cream!  Crazy...but actually crazy good, and I started thinking about what these shortcakes would taste like with a little chocolate-hazelnut spread thrown in (maybe spread under the biscuit top)...File that under things that make you go hmmm..."

Recipe: 

Simple Strawberry Shortcakes
Biscuit recipe from Cooking Light; the rest is basic improv which you can adjust to your liking

- For 4 servings -

Biscuits:
4 buttermilk biscuits, see recipe for lighter, easier buttermilk drop biscuits

Strawberries:
1/2 pound strawberries (organic, if possible), cleaned, hulled, and sliced
2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste, depending on sweetness of strawberries)

Whipped Cream:
3/4 cup chilled heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Bake buttermilk biscuits and let cool on a wire rack.  If baking frozen biscuits from the recipe above, bake straight from the freezer in a 450 degree oven until golden brown.  It will take a few extra minutes of baking time.

In the meantime, place strawberries into a bowl and toss with the sugar.  Let sit, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes.

Lightly whip the heavy cream with the sugar and vanilla extract until it reaches soft peaks.

To assemble the shortcakes, slice each biscuit horizontally with a serrated knife.  Place the bottom of the biscuit onto a serving plate, spoon a mound of strawberries on top.  Add a big dollop of whipped cream over the strawberries and then top the shortcake with the top of the biscuit.  Repeat with remaining biscuits.  If you have extra strawberries or whipped cream, serve some on the side of each shortcake.  Serve immediately.