Basil Biscuits topped with Strawberries and Fresh Whipped Cream
SERVES: 6 LARGE BISCUITS | PREP TIME: 10 MIN | COOK TIME: 18 MIN
Hi friends! I apologize for being gone so long - I miss you all terribly! I inadvertently took the month of June off from this space, but am so glad to be back and sharing my easy recipes with you!
If you can believe it the 4th of July is here! I always think of strawberry topped desserts at neighborhood bbqs when I think of this summer holiday. So of course I can't help but crave one of the classics: strawberry shortcake. Strawberry shortcake is by far one of my favorite desserts, but only if it's served with a crunchy biscuit-y shortcake. In my opinion, it needs a little crunch to sop up all of the delicious strawberry syrup and a dollop of fresh, unsweetened whipped cream to round it all out.
In order to keep this one super simple for you guys, I decided to make a biscuit/scone hybrid (read: easy, no fail) with some fresh basil from my garden, and prepared them "drop" style to eliminate a few extra steps (rolling, cutting, saving scraps, more surfaces to clean, you get the idea). Feel free to roll out the dough and use a biscuit cutter if that's your preference.
Notes
The strawberries are ridiculously easy to make, but please do note my suggestion of using the first pound to make the "sauce" and adding the second pound to the sauce before serving to keep the freshness and texture of the fruit.
I used basil because I have heaps of it growing in my backyard and it adds a really pleasant sweet and savory flavor. Feel free to substitute with any fresh herb if it's what you have. Rosemary or thyme would be delicious!
For the whipped cream I specifically omitted any sugar but chose to add vanilla extract for a better flavor. There is plenty of sweet in this dish otherwise.
If you can, make the biscuits the day of. The summer heat/humidity doesn't respect the crunch of the biscuits very much and I found the texture was undesirable the next morning. You could always prep them and then freeze raw biscuits on a cookie sheet if you need to make them ahead of time.
Egg. I realize biscuits don't usually call for an egg but the egg gives it a fluffier, slightly more dessert-friendly texture for this yummy dish.
Sugar. If you are planning on making these biscuits for a savory dish (like egg sandwiches, YUM!), I'd probably reduce the sugar to 2-3 tablespoons.
Basil Biscuits topped with Strawberries and Fresh Whipped Cream
SERVES: 6 LARGE BISCUITS
PREP TIME: 10 MIN | COOK TIME: 18 MIN
INSTRUCTIONS FOR BISCUITSUsing the frozen grater, grate butter in the frozen bowl. Use a spatula to scrape up any butter stuck to grater. Place in the freezer until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl measure and mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Use a liquid measuring cup to measure milk and whisk in egg. Place in the fridge until ready to use.
Using your hands, mix butter into the flour mixture until a course but light and dry texture is formed.
Add basil and pour in milk and egg mixture. Mix using a wooden spoon until there are no dry pieces left.
Using your hands, barely form palm size biscuits and place on parchment. You should have 6 large or 12 small biscuits.
Brush biscuits with egg white and spinkle with heavy pinch of flaky salt.
Bake for apprx. 18 minutes or until tops have browned, turning the pan at 6 minute intervals.
This delicious biscuit/scone hybrid produces 6 hardy-size biscuits, or 12 small. Use basil, thyme, rosemary, or any fresh herb that's growing in your garden!
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STRAWBERRY SAUCESprinkle sugar over the first pound of strawberries and use a potato masher to mash the strawberries. Set aside
Pour heavy whipping cream into a large bowl and using a handheld mixer beat cream until thick, apprx. 5-7 minutes.
Add vanilla to the whipped cream at the very end. Careful not to over beat. Set aside.
Add remaining strawberries to strawberry sauce and mix to incorporate.
Serve over dessert with heavy servings of each!
INGREDIENTS FOR BISCUITS4 oz (1 stick/8 tbsp) salted butter
10 oz (2 cups) flour
2.5 oz (apprx. 1/4 c) sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
7 oz (apprx 1 c.) fresh basil, chopped
1/2 c. milk
1 egg
1 egg white for topping
Flaked salt for topping
INGREDIENTS FOR STRAWBERRY SAUCE2 lbs strawberries hulled, cut into quarters, and separated in half
3 tbsp. sugar
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract