The cold weather is finally gone. Spring is here.
It’s time to put away the hearty soups, and get out the fruits. Strawberries have always been a spring time favorite. With that in mind, we thought you might like a nice Strawberry Shortcake recipe to welcome in the warm temps and sunshine.
This one comes to us from Trio’s in Little Rock. Trios is a gourmet shop, located at 8201 Cantrell Road, Suite 100, that operates as an award-winning restaurant and established caterer. For a look at the menus, click here. Trio’s says the popular dessert isn’t back on the menu yet, but to find out when it is, along with all the other things the restaurant has going on, follow the Facebook page.
We first shared this recipe with you last May, but thought it deserved another post. So here it is:
Strawberry Shortcake
The ingredients:
-For the shortcake
•4 cups flour
•1 1/2 lbs. cold, unsalted butter
•1/2 cup ice cold water
-For strawberries and whipped cream
•Arkansas strawberries, caps removed, washed and sliced
•Sugar
•1 quart heavy cream
•1/2 cup powdered sugar
The process:
-For the shortcake
Place the flour in bowl of electric mixer with paddle attachment in place. Cut cold butter into pieces and add several at a time, mixing well each addition, with the mixer running. Alternate butter with water. Mix on medium speed until butter is completed mixed into the flour.
Pull golf ball size pieces of dough from the mass and roll between your palms to make a smooth ball. Flatten each ball onto a sheet pan and make tiny holes in the dough with the lines of a fork to prevent the pastry from puffing up.
Bake in a pre-heated 300-degree oven for 20 minutes. Let cool completely and store in a covered container at room temperature for up to three days.
-For strawberries and whipped cream
Place 1/4-cup sugar per 1-quart of sliced strawberries in a large mixing bowl. Place sliced berries on top of the sugar and stir gently. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes so that the berries can release their juices. Chill for two hours before assembling the shortcakes.
Whip cream to soft peaks with the powdered sugar.
To assemble:
Place a baked shortcake round on a serving plate. Ladle strawberries with their juices over the shortcake and top with whipped cream.
In addition to grocery stores, fresh strawberries can be bought at farmers markets across the metro area. For a list of farmers markets in the state, click here.
Popular ones in the metro area include the Little Rock Farmers Market, the Bernice Garden Farmers Market, the Argenta Farmers Market and the Hillcrest Farmers Market.