Today is National Strawberry Day!

Today is National Strawberry Day! I absolutely love strawberries, and have wonderful childhood memories of picking them in our backyard and eating them by the fistful. I fondly remember many strawberry creations that my mom made with those fresh strawberries, even making our own jams and jellies.

(image from www.edibleportland.com)

Even now, any time I get strawberries, they survive only moments in the house. The kids cannot wait to wash them and gobble them up! While the strawberries I get may be from the Farmer's Market and not our backyard, it certainly warms my heart and brings a smile to my face to see my kids savor them as much as I did as a kid!

When I came across this recipe from Epicurious, I have to say I could literally taste those sweet, plump strawberries in my mouth. This is an amazing way to celebrate the strawberry, maybe not so much for the kids, but certaily for the "big kids" inside of so many of us!

Strawberry Shortcake with Grand Marnier Strawberry Compote and Chantilly Cream
Epicurious August 2006

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Chef-owner Michael Mina of Michael Mina restaurant in San Francisco created this recipe for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program. He recommends using local strawberries whenever possible.

Ingredients:

Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
Pinch (1/16 teaspoon) kosher salt
1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick), cut into chunks
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 cup cream, plus more for brushing
Finely grated zest from one lemon

Grand Marnier Strawberry Compote
4 pints strawberries, stems removed and quartered
1/2 cup Grand Mariner
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch (1/16 teaspoon) kosher salt

Chantilly Cream
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Preparation:

Make Biscuits:
In large bowl, sift together all-purpose and cake flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use pastry cutter or fork to blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

In medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk and cream, then whisk in lemon zest. Add liquid mixture to dry mixture, stirring with fork just until dough forms.

Turn dough out onto floured work surface and knead gently just until dough holds together, about 10 turns. Place dough on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

On floured work surface, pat out dough to 1/2-inch-thick round. Using 3-inch cutter, cut out biscuits. Transfer to ungreased baking sheet, brush lightly with cream, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool.

Make Compote:
In large mixing bowl, combine strawberries, Grand Mariner, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Mix gently, taste, and add more sugar if needed. Let stand at room temperature until juices form, at least 30 minutes.

Make Chantilly Cream:
Chill medium mixing bowl and whisk in freezer for 10 minutes before beginning. In chilled bowl, whisk cream until it begins to foam and thicken. Add sugar and continue to whisk just until soft peaks form. Do not over-whip.

To Plate:
Cut biscuits in half horizontally and place each bottom half in wide bowl or on plate. Divide compote among bowls, spooning strawberries onto biscuit bottoms and pouring some juice into each bowl. Top each shortcake with Chantilly Cream and biscuit top.


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