As much as I entertain, I am always panicked when I am feeding my extended family.
It’s the strangest thing. I can’t think of a time when one of my relatives have ever complained about my cooking. Yet, when my family are coming for dinner, I am in a lather!
Yesterday was no exception. I had invited my great-uncle George and his wife Emma for dinner and had decided to cook Italian…what a surprise. Not knowing whether they even liked Italian food, I thought I had better prepare a familiar dessert to balance expectations. Local strawberries are in season so I chose everybody’s favorite – strawberry shortcake. The biscuits almost made it to the oven in the traditional manner but I caved when I looked out the window at my herb garden and saw my pot of mint waving to me. I had been thinking about adding freshly chopped mint to this dessert for a while so, out I went with my snips.
I topped the biscuits with some beautiful sanding sugar which gave them a gorgeous appearance.
The addition of chopped mint in the shortcake was incredible. If you do not have time to make your own shortcakes, you could add chopped mint to your strawberries and sugar and end up with a lovely result.
Mint Shortcakes
makes 12 cakes
preheat oven 450*F
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup fresh mint, finely chopped
1/2 cup cold butter, divided into eights
2/3 cup buttermilk
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and place in large mixing bowl.
Using a pastry blender cut in butter until it resembles a coarse meal…stir in chopped mint.
Add buttermilk and stir until combined.
Place dough on a floured board and knead 5 times then roll to 1″ thickness.
Cut cakes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Prepare an eggwash of 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon whipping cream…brush tops of cakes with eggwash then sprinkle with sanding sugar
Place in oven on bottom rack and bake for 12 minutes on until golden.
Top with sweetened strawberries and whipped cream.
Uncle George loved it!
Thanks for reading.
