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Strawberry Shortcake | Cristina Ferrare’s “Big Bowl of Love” #SundaySupper

Strawberry Shortcake | Cristina Ferrare’s “Big Bowl of Love” #SundaySupper

I was blessed this week by receiving my very own copy of Cristina Ferrare’s “Big Bowl of Love” cookbook, complete with a personal message by Cristina. Our #SundaySupper theme this week is all recipes from this cookbook. When I thumbed through it, they all sounded fabulous, but a little voice kept nagging and wanted me to make the strawberry shortcake. I haven’t had any strawberries, yet, this season, and strawberry shortcake is one of those American desserts I have come to appreciate – no, LOVE.

Cristina’s version is both sophisticated and easy at the same time. Instead of just dumping strawberries on a piece of shortcake, she includes a strawberry coulis, which in my estimation makes or breaks this dish. It wouldn’t be the same without it. Added benefit: I get to drown everything in whipped cream. If you don’t know much about German desserts, it’s OUR passion and everybody ELSE ridicules us for it. Especially the French.

Strawberry Shortcake | Cristina Ferrare’s “Big Bowl of Love” #SundaySupper

I made the whole dessert according to recipe, and the only thing you need to keep an eye on is oven temperature. Every oven is different. Mine is not only calibrated, but also has a thermometer in it, which I am assuming works. At 425 F the cakes smelled pretty done after 13 minutes (they were already almost too dark then), but they weren’t yet done inside. So I switched the oven off and took them out after another 2 or 3 minutes.

Be that as it may, this is hands-down the most photogenic and great-tasting dessert I have made in a while. Living proof: 3 of the 7 cakes the recipe yielded were gone before they were dressed, and 2 more vanished into the same direction after I was done photographing. ;)

What is YOUR favorite way to enjoy strawberries?

Shortcakes

Shortcakes

Strawberry coulis

5.0 from 7 reviews

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Cristina Ferrare’s Strawberry Shortcake
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 6 – 8
 

Cristina’s version is both sophisticated and easy at the same time. Instead of just dumping strawberries on a piece of shortcake, she includes a strawberry coulis, which in my estimation makes or breaks this dish. It wouldn’t be the same without it.
Ingredients
Strawberry Coulis
  • 2 quarts fresh strawberries
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp corn starch
  • ¼ cup water
Whipping Cream
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla flavor
Shortcake
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • (1/2 tsp salt – omit if using salted butter)
  • ½ stick/4 tbsp COLD butter, cut into ¼” cubes
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • ⅓ cup plain yogurt
Strawberry Topping
  • 2 quarts fresh strawberries
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon/orange zest
  • 10 – 12 fresh mint leaves

Instructions
Strawberry Coulis
  1. Wash, hull and slice the strawberries.
  2. Place berries in a saucepan with the sugar and orange juice. Bring to a boil.
  3. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
  4. Drain the strawberries. Mix the corn starch with the water, whisk in with the strawberry liquid. Return the strawberries to the saucepan.
  5. Heat the strawberries over medium heat, add the strawberry/corn starch mix and bring to a boil. Remove from heat when the mixture starts to thicken. Cool to room temperature, then cover and put in the fridge.
Whipped Cream
  1. Beat the heavy whipping cream with the vanilla flavor until stiff peaks form. Store in fridge until ready to use.
Shortcake
  1. Preheat your oven to 425 F.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder and sugar into a bowl. Cut in the butter with a paddle attachment until the mixture turns into small peas.
  3. Add the cream and yogurt and mix with a wooden spoon/fork until all the flour is hydrated. Finish off by hand. DO NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH.
  4. Roll the dough into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. With a round cookie cutter (2.5 – 3 inches in diameter) cut out small cakes. Take care not to twist the cutter when cutting into the dough.
  5. At 3 inches diameter, the dough should yield at least 6 cakes.
  6. Place cakes onto a greased/lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.
  7. Let cakes cool completely.
Assembling the dish:
  1. Cut the cakes horizontally in half. Top with fresh, sliced strawberries.
  2. Ladle about ¼ – ½ cup of strawberry coulis on top.
  3. Top with whipped cream and decorate with citrus zest and fresh mint leaves. Finally, place upper half of the cake on top.

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Fresh strawberries

Here’s what’s on the menu for #SundaySupper this week:

Our recipes will be perfectly paired with wine chosen by Wine Every Day.

 

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May 20th, 2012 | Tags: , , , , , , , | Category: #sundaysupper, Baking, Book Review, Food Photography, For Kids!, International Food, Recipe

59 comments to Strawberry Shortcake | Cristina Ferrare’s “Big Bowl of Love” #SundaySupper