Strawberry Shortcake

 

This healthier version of an old-fashioned favorite increases the ratio of berries to shortcake and adds whole-wheat flour for fiber and nutrients. Thick Greek yogurt makes a wonderful, healthy stand-in for whipped cream. If your berries aren’t perfectly juicy and ripe, toss chopped berries in a little sugar or agave and macerate for 15 minutes before serving. For best flavor, offer this the traditional Southern way: warm from the oven, with cold berries on top.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons natural cane sugar

3 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk

2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped

1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

Whole fresh strawberries, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 425˚. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add butter about a teaspoon at a time, using fingers to rub into the flour, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk and stir until ingredients are just blended. Dough should be very moist.

3. Transfer dough to a generously floured work surface, sprinkle with flour, and knead 8–9 times to make dough smooth and pliable. Pull off eight egg-sized pieces; pat and shape into flat rounds. Place on prepared sheet and bake until golden, 10–12 minutes.

4. While shortcakes bake, coarsely chop berries and let stand in a bowl (toss with a little sweetener if desired).

5. Remove biscuits from oven and let cool for 1 minute. Transfer to serving plates. Spoon strawberries over each warm biscuit and top with a dollop of yogurt; or split biscuits crosswise, arrange on plates partly overlapping, and sandwich with berries and yogurt. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 183 cal, 5g fat (1g mono, 0g poly, 3g sat), 14mg chol, 6g protein, 29g carb, 3g fiber, 212mg sodium