Lemon Poppyseed Shortcakes
One of the many perks of living in California is that strawberry season starts early and ends late. That's why I found this to be the perfect dessert to create in order to savor those last bits of summer strawberries that are still around. Strawberry shortcakes are a weakness of mine, and this lemon & poppyseed version is no exception. Instead of a few images, I'm sharing a short video that I made in partnership with Bob's Red Mill to show you how easy these treats are to make.
Enjoy xx
Lemon & Poppyseed Shortcakes
Makes 6 shortcakes
½ cup granulated sugar, divided
1 tbs + 1 tsp lemon zest, preferrably organic
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbs +1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp poppy seeds
8 tbs very cold unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, plus extra for brushing
2 tbs lemon juice
demerara sugar, for sprinkling
2 pints strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 ¾ cup Sweetened whipped cream, for serving
Equipment: baking sheet lined with parchment paper, pastry cutter, 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter, pastry brush, cooling rack.
Method
Add 1/4 cup of sugar and the lemon zest to a large bowl. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar becomes fragrant and is well incorporated.
To the sugar, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and poppy seeds and whisk to combine.
Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture and using a pastry cutter (or you can use your hands) cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter becomes the size of peas.
Add the buttermilk and the lemon juice to the bowl, and mix everything together with a fork until a shaggy dough begins to form. Bring the dough together a bit while still in the bowl, then place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7-inch circle that's about 1-inch *note: if the dough seems too dry for any reason, simply add a little extra buttermilk, 1 tsp at a time until the dough comes together. Use a 2 ½-inch biscuit cutter to cut out 3 shortcakes, re-roll the scraps and cut out 3 more.
Place the shortcakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the tops with some additional buttermilk. Sprinkle the tops with demerara sugar and place in the freezer to chill for 20 minutes.
While the shortcakes are chilling, preheat the oven to 415°F and begin prepping the strawberries. Place the strawberries in a medium bowl and toss with the remaining sugar. Set the strawberries aside and allow them to sit at room temp until the shortcakes are ready.
Place the shortcakes in the oven and bake, rotating once, for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Cool on wire rack for 15-20 minutes.
Use a serrated knife to cut each shortcake in half. Top each one with a few dollops of sweetened cream and a few spoonfuls of macerated strawberries. Eat immediately.