Strawberry Shortcake with Basil Whipped Cream
Strawberry Shortcake with Basil Whipped Cream is the perfect summer dessert. Lightly sweetened biscuits are topped with macerated strawberries and an herbaceous basil whipped cream. Fresh and delectable!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the biscuits:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp sugar, divided
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 3 Tbsp butter, chilled and cubed into small pieces
- 1/3 cup whole milk, plus more for brushing
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 Tbsp sugar, sanding preferred
For the macerated strawberries:
- 2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 lemon, zested
For the basil whipped cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 10 leaves basil , plus additional for garnish
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
For the basil whipped cream:
- Add heavy cream to a small saucepan, heating until a few bubbles surface. Remove from heat and add basil leaves.
- Allow basil to steep for 30 minutes. Remove from cream and discard. Chill cream until completely cooled, at least 4 hours.
- Once ready to whip, add chilled basil cream to a chilled metal bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip the cream until soft peaks form.
For the macerated strawberries:
- Hull and slice the strawberries, adding them to a medium bowl. Top with sugar and lemon zest and toss to combine. Allow strawberries to sit as you prepare the biscuits. They'll begin to release some of their juices, creating a sweet syrup. This is exactly what you want to happen!
For the biscuits:
- Preheat oven to 425º.
- Combine flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add the butter, using a pastry blender or your fingers to combine the mixture until it resembles sand.
- Combine milk and vanilla, adding to the flour mixture. Use a fork to mix until just combined.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Getly knead until mixture is blended and no longer sticks to lightly floured hands. Note that this dough will indeed be sticky, so add a little more flour to your hands!
- Pat and press dough out until it's 1 inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter (or alternatively a glass with the rim floured), and cut dough into 6 biscuits. Gather dough and repeat process until you have 6 biscuits.
- Place biscuits 1 inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with milk and top with sugar. Bake at 425º for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, and tranfer to cooling racks.