Strawberry Shortcake, Gluten Free

Strawberry Shortcake, the classic summertime dessert, made with sun ripened strawberries piled on top of a buttery shortcake and finished with a large dollop of freshly whipped cream is a taste of heaven and this one is gluten free.

When I had strawberry shortcake growing up, it certainly wasn’t like the one I’m sharing with you today. No, back then it was made with pre packaged little sponge cakes that we bought at our local grocery store and, more times than not, the strawberries we used came from the frozen food section. We had it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream but I don’t ever remember having the dessert with real whipped cream. Our life was very simple and I had no idea that strawberry shortcake was served any differently until I had it in a restaurant years later.

Strawberry Shortcake, A Summertime Classic

Fast forward to last week. We were having a middle of the week impromptu dinner with our friends but I was given a challenge. Make a gluten free meal as one of our friends is being checked for an autoimmune condition. We served arroz con pollo along with a salad for dinner and strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Since my husband and I don’t need to eat gluten free, I didn’t want to buy a lot of special ingredients that I might not need again. I found a pre packaged gluten free scone mix and made scones as the base for the dessert. We all loved the dessert so I thought I’d share the recipe with you.

Strawberry Shortcake, Gluten Free 

 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with the cooking rack placed in the top third of the oven.

• 1 (13 oz.) bag Pamela’s Biscuit & Scone Mix*
• ½ c. sugar plus a little more for sprinkling
• 1 stick (8 Tbsp.) butter, very cold, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup milk (I used 1/4 c. milk plus 3/4 c. half and half) plus about 1 Tbsp. for brushing the tops
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat (Silpat) or parchment paper.

Combine the dry mix and sugar in a bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Do not overwork the dough. Add the milk then mix until the dough just comes together. Scoop onto a piece of parchment or cling wrap then gently pat into a round, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches high. (If dough is sticky, wet fingers help shape the dough.) Cut into 8 wedges with a knife and place on the prepared cookie sheet using a spatula. If you wish, brush the scones with a little cream and sprinkle with sugar before baking. Bake 20 to 24 minutes until the tops are cracked and just starting to brown. Remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheet (they are very tender) for a few minutes then place on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Strawberries

• 1 pint fresh strawberries, cleaned and quartered
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier (optional)

Place clean and quartered strawberries into a bowl and sprinkle with sugar. Pour in the lemon juice and liqueur, if using, and stir. Let sit for several hours.

Whipped cream

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 – 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar, or to taste
• 1/8 tsp. vanilla (optional)

Place all the ingredients in a chilled bowl and whip with an electric beater until soft peaks are formed. Cover and chill until ready to use.

Place a scone on each dessert plate, top with strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

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If you think you don’t have time to make dessert when you are entertaining friends, you might want to try this classic summertime dessert. In thirty short minutes, earlier in the day, I made the scones along with preparing the strawberries and whipped cream. All that was necessary, at serving time, was to place a scone on each plate, top with several spoonfuls of strawberries and their delicious juice, then add a dollop of whipped cream. During the winter, I could see making this dessert with pears poached in red wine.

These strawberry shortcakes are the perfect ending to a meal. Quick and easy to prepare, these buttery shortcakes topped with fresh fruit and whipped cream are delicious. I guess you could say…“summertime and the living is easy”.

Tell me, do you ever have spur of the moment dinners for your friends with only a couple of hours to prepare a meal? If so, do you make dessert from scratch, use packaged mixes or do you buy something ready made from your local bakery?

*I mentioned the scone mix that I bought but have not been compensated in any way. I was very pleased with this mix but I’m sure there are others like it on the market. I was happy that I could make our friend a gluten free dessert he could enjoy, without me having to buy lots of ingredients I might not use again. I’d definitely make gluten free scones again, even though my husband and I don’t have to worry about gluten in our diets. No one will ever know the scones are gluten free unless you tell them.