Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake

with Brown Sugar Sour Cream and Flaky Gluten Free Biscuits

Dear Friends,

Pop, pop, pop the strawberries at the “pick your own” farm so fresh that they positively squeaked when we pulled them off of the stem. Mounding over the long boxes and spilling out onto the hot moist earth as we piled and played “pop a shot” with the swollen fruit. Entertainment has been slower and more intentional these last few years, involving more sunshine, and we’ve felt these seasons with intensity. This form of entertainment comes with rewards, fat delicate strawberries that are glorious, but quickly turn white and fuzzy, so the entertainment continues in the form of beat the clock jam making, ice cream production, and of course we could not skip the strawberry shortcake.

Best made with the berries that (at least in my neighborhood) make a brief and just beginning appearance and need little embellishment. While the berries are the star, the biscuits are the unsung hero, perfect for a shortcake but you can pull these out anytime as a breakfast or brunch buttery side kick or the base of a freeze ahead breakfast sandwich. In its simplest state a little honey, butter, and salt is all you need to top them says this midwestern girl. The real trick to flakiness in these biscuits is keeping the butter cold, and grating it into the dry ingredients, to minimize the melt. Those pockets of butter create steam in the dough that makes that irresistable flake. The addition of cornstarch is to create a softer blend of flours, more like the soft flour that grows in the southern United States, the home of pillowy soft biscuits, feel free to use Tapioca flour instead, it works well.

As for the filling, I like a little tang to go with my sugar sweet berries, you could use whipped cream (or whipped coconut cream) instead it would be delicious, but this combination of brown sugar and sour cream is like a tangy caramel cream. My mother used to whip this little combo up and serve it with tart cherries in crepes - an activity I highly recommend once cherries make their appearance in your area!

Next Level Gluten Free recipes are tested over and over and scientifically work! Then I walk you through all the details. I’m like your bestie in the kitchen who’s an expert on gluten free. Upgrade to a paid membership so we can hang out more and you get to eat more delicious gluten free food.

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Strawberry Shortcake
with Brown Sugar Sour Cream
and Flaky Biscuits

serves 8

½ pint strawberries
2 Tb granulated sugar
zest of 1 orange

1 cup (230g) full fat sour cream (or nondairy sour cream)
2 Tb packed dark brown sugar

2 cups (280g) one to one gluten free flour blend such as King Arthur Measure for Measure or Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend
1/2 cup (60g) of cornstarch (tapioca starch if sensitive to corn)
2 Tb (25g) granulated white sugar
1 Tb (12 g) baking powder
½ tsp (3 g) baking soda
1 tsp (4g ) salt
½ (113 g) unsalted butter (or stick nondairy butter)
1 cup (230g) full fat sour cream (or nondairy sour cream)
2 eggs
1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract

Slice strawberries in quarters (or halves if they are small) and toss with sugar and the orange zest in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Combine the 1 cup of sour cream with the brown sugar in a small bowl and let them sit in the fridge so that the sugar can dissolve and the flavors with meld.

Combine gluten free flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk them together.  Grate the cold butter on the large side of a cheese grater, and add to the bowl.  Using a fork, toss and mix the butter shreds through the flour mixture.

Add the sour cream, eggs and vanilla and with a large spoon mix the dry and wet together.  Turn over your dough to a parchment-lined sheet tray and with your hands, push it together in a rectangular shape around ¾ - 1" thick. If your dough is sticky, feel free to sprinkle it with some additional flour.  Put the dough rectangle back into your fridge for 15 minutes, or into your freezer for 5 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 400F.  Once your oven is fully preheated, use bench scraper or knife dipped in additional gluten free flour, and cut the dough into 8 squares. Arrange your shortcakes on a parchment-lined sheet tray and them for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 205 degrees.  Let the biscuits cool on the tray for 5 minutes then move them to a cooling rack.

Once the biscuits are cool, split them in half with a fork, scoop a generous dollop of the sour cream mixture inside, and generously shower with the macerated strawberries, top with the biscuit top, and if you feel fancy gild the lily by dusting with a little powdered sugar. 

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