New To Me

Being allergic to dairy is old hat by now and I have figured out ways to still enjoy cooking and baking...and eating without cream, butter, milk, cheese. Still haven't found a good replacement for most cheese, although I have found a good ricotta...Kite Hill brand, but I also was missing whipped cream. Even when I could have dairy it wasn't a frequent part of my diet, but every now and then, especially when ripe strawberries just beg to be made into strawberry shortcake, I did wish for something better than aquafaba.

Well, there is a produce now in at least two local markets that fills the bill...Silk brand whipping cream. Maybe you already knew about it, but it was new to me until this week.

Some good friends...two sets actually...came to visit on Wednesday, so we had dinner on the back deck. For dessert we had strawberry shortcakes, using individual sweet biscuits, based on my Mom's self-rising flour biscuit recipe, plus local strawberries that Sweetie prepared, and a big bowl of whipped Silk "whipped cream". It was a hit and everyone enjoyed it. 

I didn't tell anyone until we had finished that the whipped cream wasn't dairy whipped cream. Astonishment was rampant. So if you want a non-dairy whipped cream that is good enough for company, give it a try if your store carries it. If they don't, you might want to ask if they could...it's that good. Just so you know, I don't get anything from Silk for telling you about this great product.

By the way, we were having such a good time visiting that I almost forgot to take a photo. What you get are two shots of the shortcake being enjoyed! No Instagram-perfect photo of this dessert.

Summer Strawberry Shortcakes

serves six with some biscuits left over

The Sweet Biscuits: These are the kind that use self-rising flour.
3 C Sifted self-rising flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
1 C milk (plain or buttermilk)
 1/2 C shortening

Place flour and brown sugar in a large bowl. Use a fork to blend the sugar into the flour and then stir to combine thoroughly. Cut shortening into the flour until consistency of coarse meal. Add enough milk to make a soft dough (may be slightly more or less than one cup). Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead gently about ten strokes. Roll 1/2 the thickness of desired finished biscuit height. Cut with a floured biscuit cutter (or drinking glass rim). Place biscuits on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 12-15 minutes. Makes about 14 two-inch biscuits. For shortcake, you can use a slightly larger cutter than two-inch if desired, and you will get about 12 biscuits.

The Strawberries: For six people, prepare two pints of fresh, ripe strawberries by removing the hull and slicing into a bowl, keeping as much of the juice as you can. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.

The "Whipped Cream": Chill a stand mixer bowl (preferred), or other large bowl, plus the beaters, preferably the whip or whisk, in the freezer for at least an hour. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and add the pint of Silk 'whipping cream' (or a pint of dairy whipping cream if you prefer) to the chilled bowl. Attach the beaters/whisk attachment to the stand mixer or a hand-held electric mixer and beat on medium-high 30 seconds. Gradually add 1 tablespoons granulated sugar, then increase speed to as high as it will go and beat until cream is thickened, but still a little soft.

Assembly: On each plate, place one of the biscuits, split or not as preferred. Top with a generous helping of the prepared strawberries, then dollop with some whipped cream. Serve with forks. Enjoy!

Note: The strawberries can be replaced by any other berry that is ripe and sweet, or with peeled, pitted and sliced peaches, sliced and pitted nectarines or plums, or pitted cherries. Summer's sweetness is captured so well in this dessert.