Strawberry Shortcake (Dairy-Free option)

Posted May 15, 2017

In Bake with Your Kids, Cake, Dairy Free, Dessert, Egg Free

Picking your own strawberries is a sure sign summer is coming. Strawberry picking is one of our favorite activities in the late Spring and Summer. It’s quite literally the farm to table experience. And there is just something about eating a berry (or any other fruit) that grew just miles from where we live. They’re sweeter somehow and they taste so much fresher than what we typically find in the store.

Strawberry Shortcake is an obvious use for fresh strawberries. It was one of my favorite desserts growing up. In California, our berries were fresh and (somewhat) local, so this treat always reminds me of childhood. My Mom would make the recipe on the Bisquick box. No judgement – Bisquick knew a good thing. But, I made these from scratch and I made two batches – a “regular” version and a dairy-free version. I asked my taste testers which they preferred and was surprised that they could hardly tell the difference. I served mine with a homemade coconut whipped cream, but you can also use regular whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Most strawberry shortcake recipes call for tossing the berries in sugar and lemon juice. I don’t do that. Fresh strawberries are so naturally sweet, I just slice them on and put them on top. You really don’t need any more sweetness in this recipe, I assure you.

This year, we went strawberry picking on Mother’s Day. The weather was perfect and the picking was good. We picked two varieties of strawberries. One produced tiny berries that are candy-sweet. The other was described as the “champagne” type. Can you guess which ones I chose?

I always love watching my kids in this picking process – whether its strawberries, apples or pumpkins. Their personalities are so evident. My daughter fixates on picking the very best, flawless fruit she can find. She will examine, assess and discern whether the fruit is perfect. Only then will she pick it. My son, on the other hand, will pick whatever’s in sight. Ripe, unripe, bruised, damaged, rotten…who knows what ends up in his basket. But they both have fun and that’s all that matters.

I hope you have the chance to pick strawberries with your kids. It’s a great experience and you can do so many things with the berries – think: smoothies, ice cream, on top of waffles or – in my unbiased opinion – as strawberry shortcake. Whatever you do, enjoy!

Strawberry Shortcake (Dairy-Free option)

Created by Molly on May 14, 2017

http://www.bakeforyourlife.com/recipes/recipe/strawberry-shortcake-3/

Prep Time: 15m
Cook Time: 12m
Total Time: 27m

Yield: 5 large biscuits / servings
Category: Cake, Dairy Free, Dessert, Egg Free

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup butter OR ¼ cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup milk (any kind)
sparkling sugar, optional
fresh strawberries
1 cup heavy whipping cream OR one can full-fat coconut milk (in the can), refrigerated overnight
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

How To Do It

Place the butter in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together with a fork.
Massage the lemon zest into the flour mixture using your hands. This way, the zest breaks up and distributes evenly.
Using a box grater, grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients. If using shortening, cut it into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter or two butter knives. Use your hands to massage your chosen fat into the dry mixture until small pea-sized balls form. If using real butter, do not over-knead, as the warmth from your hands will begin to melt the butter.
Pour in the milk and stir until combined. It will be sticky.
Drop the biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet. I typically get 5 good-sized biscuits from this recipe, but you can adjust to make more or fewer biscuits based on your preference.
Sprinkle the sparkle sugar on top of each biscuit.
Bake for 12-13 minutes. The tops will just begin to brown and when you poke the biscuits, you’ll have some resistance in the dough.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack.
In the meantime, prepare the whipped cream. If you’re making a dairy free version, remove the coconut milk from the fridge and open carefully. Scoop out the solidified coconut milk and discard the “water” at the bottom of the can.
Place the coconut cream or the heavy whipping cream in a medium bowl with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
Beat on high until a thick cream forms.
To assemble the shortcakes, place a biscuit on a plate. Top with whipped cream and fresh, sliced berries.
To store the biscuits, place them in a sealed container or plastic bag at room temperature. They will keep for 2-3 days. Transfer the excess whipped cream to a sealed container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.