Wholesome Strawberry Shortcakes

Wholesome Strawberry Shortcakes? What the heck is that? Well…here’s the thing. Besides maybe , strawberry shortcake is my favorite dessert in the world. I knew if we were going to bake a tray of homemade shortcakes, pick up pints of strawberries at the farmer’s market, and whip fresh cream, I would eat at least two a day until there wasn’t a shortcake left in sight. Planning to indulge inspires me to tighten up recipes. Here, I started with a classic shortcake recipe, removed some white sugar, added in some whole wheat flour, and left the berries and cream alone. The shortcake dough is really interesting because it calls for two hard-boiled egg yolks to be pulsed into the flours. Sounds strange but the result is a rich, somewhat wheat-y cake. If you are not a fan of somewhat wheat-y, simply substitute the whole wheat flour for all-purpose.

All hail the queen of spring desserts.

Wholesome Strawberry Shortcakes

makes 6

for the shortcakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

3 1/2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 hard-boiled egg yolks

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

zest of 1/2 a lemon

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
for the assembly:

1/2 pound strawberries, washed, hulled, and quartered

1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, egg yolks, and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and zest and pulse until the flour resembles coarse meal. Add 2/3 cup of cream and pulse until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather into a mass. Knead a couple times to make it cohesive and then pat it into a rough circle about 6 to 7 inches in diameter (3/4 to 1-inch thick).

Using a biscuit cutter or the rim of a pint glass, section out 6 rounds and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Alternately, you can use a sharp knife and cut the circle into 6 wedges. Chill for 20 minutes (and up to 2 hours).

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush the tops of the shortcakes very lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake until risen and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Turn the pan around halfway through to ensure even cooking.

Split the shortcakes in half horizontally and set the tops aside. Place the bottoms on dessert plates and heap strawberries over them. Spoon whipped cream generously over the strawberries and replace the shortcake tops. Serve immediately.