Strawberry Shortcake Light

I've got strawberries on the brain in a big way lately.  Partly it's because it's almost summer and there are lots of lovely berries in the market that are far too tempting not to buy.  But, I was also recently chatting with a PR representative for Driscoll's Berries.  She reminded me that National Strawberry Shortcake Day is on the 14th and was also generous enough to send me some coupons for Driscoll's products.

Strawberry shortcake has a special place in my heart because it was one of the first desserts I ever mastered, many years ago.  I was working at Better Homes & Gardens magazine and was given a copy of their cookbook.  It was filled with lots of basic, comfort recipes that were perfect for the novice cook I was at the time.  Their shortcake recipe, done in the biscuit style, caught my eye and I learned to make it.  So well, in fact, that it became my go-to "fancy" dessert for years.  Even now, when I hear the name, I think back to those times but, in fact, I haven't made it or eaten it in years.  I'm always reluctant to pile gobs of whipped heavy cream onto my plate.  It's so good and so easy to eat that I end up eating way too much.  Sigh...

But speaking with the rep got me thinking about that dessert and what I could do to lighten it up.  The answer, as it turned out, was also very close to my heart.  When I was growing up, my mother frequently baked light sponge cakes and topped them with a sweetened berry and sour cream mixture.  I substituted Greek yogurt for the sour cream, sweetened it slightly and added the plump, juicy Discroll's berries.  The filling is so light and delicious that I'd happily eat it by itself but adding the fluffy biscuits elevates this dessert to a level I'd proudly serve to guests.  That is, if we actually had any of it left.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

Biscuits:
2 1/4 Cups all purpose flour
1/4 Cup Sugar plus 1 tablespoon
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Stick unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1" pieces
1 Cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon cream or half & half

Strawberry Yogurt Sauce:
16 oz. Greek style yogurt
1/4 Cup sugar
1 lb. Strawberries, hulled and sliced

Make the sauce by placing the yogurt into a bowl and whisking in the sugar until combined.  Stir in the strawberries and refrigerate for at least an hour.  The strawberries will bleed some of their juice into the yogurt.

Make the biscuits by combining the flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.  Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles course crumbs.  Add the buttermilk and stir just until combined.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface to approximately a 3/4" thickness.  Use a 3" round cutter to cut the biscuits and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Re-roll the dough scraps to make more biscuits.  Brush the top of each biscuit with the cream or half & half and sprinkle on the remaining tablespoon of sugar.

Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the tops are light golden brown.  Allow to cool before slicing each biscuit in half.  Place a scoop of the yogurt berry mixture on one half and top with the other half of the biscuit.  Makes approximately 6 servings.