Strawberry Picking Part Two

If you read my previous post, you know we went strawberry picking last weekend. We brought so many home that we have been preparing strawberries in every way imaginable. Our freezer is full of bags of frozen strawberries and all kinds of strawberry goodies, like this strawberry sorbet. I hope I am at least making you dream of summer.

Strawberry shortcake is one of my favorite desserts, so of course I had to make it right away while the strawberries were still fresh and juicy. Buttermilk biscuits, accompanied by macerated strawberries, strawberry sorbet and creme fraiche and vanilla bean cream. We had this on Valentine’s night while watching a sort of cheesy, but perfect romantic comedy. Not bad, I say.

Here are some more photos of our little escapade with the kids, which we will definitely have to do again.

On another note, I was so excited to hear that Cannelle Et Vanille was named one of the world’s 50 best food blogs by The Times Online. Such an honor! You can read the full article here. Thank you very much!

Also exciting was the post that Holly wrote for Real Simple. Read it here. Thanks Holly!

Buttermilk Biscuits

225 grams flour
40 grams sugar
9 grams baking powder
2 grams salt
75 grams butter, cubed and cold
125 grams buttermilk
1 egg yolk

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the chilled and cubed butter and coat it with the dry ingredients. Quickly start working the butter into the flour with your fingers. We want to break it down to small pieces but leaving some chunks.

Mix the buttermilk and the egg yolk together and add it to the dry ingredients. Fold until the dough comes together. Do not overwork it or the dough will be tough. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll to about 1/2″ thickness. Cut with cutters and place the biscuits on a sheetpan lined with parchment.

Refrigerate the biscuits for a couple of hours (or you can freeze them at this point).

Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle coarse sugar on top. Bake at 375F for about 15 minutes until they are golden brown.

Macerated Strawberries

Wash and cut strawberries. Place them in a clean bowl and sprinkle some sugar over them. Toss them and let them sit at room temperature for about two hours or until the natural juices start to come out.

If you want, you could add a bit of kirsch, framboise or eau de vie at this point.

Strawberry Sorbet

For a different strawberry sorbet recipe go here.

500 grams strawberry puree
105 grams water
75 grams sugar
75 grams atomized glucose
1.5 grams sorbet stabilizer

In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add the atomized glucose and bring it to another boil. Ad the sugar and stabilizer that have been previously mixed together.

Remove from heat and transfer to a clean bowl. Let it cool in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, mix the strawberry puree with the syrup and churn in the ice cream machine. Freeze.