I’m turning 34 this weekend which admittedly has barely crossed my mind. By the time you read this, my cookbook shoot will be well underway with four days under our belt, which feels much more exciting than contemplating what another spin around the sun means. Am I any wiser? Marginally. Have I gotten better at boundaries and knowing myself? A bit, yes. Am I more financially secure? Ha.
My birthday often lands on Mother’s Day, which happens to also be the same time strawberry season begins. Every year growing up my dad would lug a massive strawberry shortcake up from the city from the East Village Italian bakery Veniero’s for the occasion.There were layers of yellow sponge decorated with whipped cream and strawberries, and while I don’t remember loving the cake itself, strawberries and cream has long since been a favorite flavor combination of mine. If you want to see a very pixelated photo of what this cake looks like (you can still order it today!), click here.
Fast forward to present day. If I were serving my childhood self this is the dessert I’d make to channel all the flavors of traditional strawberry shortcake in a dessert that’s decidedly more up my alley. Strawberries and rhubarb are roasted in the oven until the become soft and syrupy. The idea is to coax out their natural flavor without making them too sweet. The cake part lands somewhere between biscuit and shortcake, with a tender crumb and craggy top that becomes crackly thanks to a last minute dusting of sugar. Serve the shortcakes with a dollop of whipped cream and spoon the berries and rhubarb right on top.
Serves 6
Ingredients
Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb
6 cups strawberries, stems removed, large ones halved, small ones stay intact
3 stalks rhubarb, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces on the bias
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Peels from 1 lemon
3 tablespoons water
Shortcakes
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¼ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk, cold, divided
Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
Add the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, salt, vanilla bean and scraped pod (or extract), lemon peels, and water to a 9-inch square baking dish. Roast until the strawberries are softened and the bottom of the pan is syrupy, about 30 minutes. Reserve the strawberries in a sealed container until ready to use. The strawberries can be roasted ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Increase the oven temperature to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Using a cheese grater, grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. Working quickly, use your hands to toss the butter in the flour.
Pour 1 cup of buttermilk into the flour mixture and use a spatula to stir into a shaggy dough. The dough will be very sticky at this point.
Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. If the dough looks too wet, dust with a bit more flour. Form the dough into a 6x8-inch rectangle, and sprinkle with more flour.
Divide the dough into three equal parts and stack on top of each other. Turn the dough 90˚ then use your hands to press down into a 6x8-inch rectangle.
Cut the dough into 6 equal squares and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
Brush the tops of the biscuits with the remaining 1 tablespoon of buttermilk and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake the biscuits until the tops are golden brown, about 25 minutes.
While the biscuits are baking, make the whipped cream. Add the heavy cream to a medium bowl and use an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed to whip until soft peaks form, 2 to 3. Add the powdered sugar and beat just until combined, 1 minute.
Slice the biscuits in half and add a spoonful of the roasted strawberries and a large dollop of whipped cream to one side. Place the other biscuit half on top and serve immediately.
Happy Birthday….hope it’s fun!