To get a quart of strawberries ready, hull them, halve them, sweeten them. There are lots of sweet kitchen staples you can choose from: plain old white sugar; aromatic honey; brown sugar; for a special twist, even orange marmalade works, adding lots of flavour and forming a beautiful sauce with the berries.
Whipped cream is just an experiment waiting to happen. All you need is heavy 35-per-cent whipping cream, any sugar, any flavouring and your imagination. Go for it! Vanilla extract is wonderful, but before whisking begins, try adding some citrus zest or a few spoonfuls of berry jelly or jam. For a grown-up twist, you can try a splash of your favourite liqueur. Grand Marnier whipped cream anyone? You bet.
Servings: 4 to 8
Nutmeg Cream Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
11/4 cups 35-per-cent cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped Cream
1 cup 35-per-cent whipping cream
2 tablespoons white sugar, or brown sugar, or honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla, or zest from a lemon or an orange, or 2 tablespoons of Grand Marnier, Triple Sec or your favourite liqueur, or 1/2 cup of jam, jelly or marmalade
Sweetened Strawberries
1 quart of fresh local berries, hulled and halved
A few spoonfuls of white sugar or honey
A few spoonfuls of your favourite liqueur (optional)
1 cup of jam, jelly or marmalade (optional)
Method
Nutmeg Cream Biscuits
Preheat oven to 450 F. Whisk the wet and dry ingredients separately, then pour them together and stir until they form a loose dough.
Briefly knead and fold it by hand just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and you can pick up the whole mass.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Pat it down until it forms a rough disc about one inch thick.
At this point, you may simply cut the disc into wedges or squares or you may use a set of biscuit cutters or a glass to cut circles.
You may also brush the tops with a bit of milk, cream or whisked egg and dust them with white sugar for a fancier look and crunchy texture.
Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Makes four large biscuits, eight average-sized.
Whipped Cream
Whip everything together until pillowy smooth. Serve immediately. Makes two cups or so.
Sweetened Strawberries
Toss together and let rest for up to a few hours. The sugar will draw moisture from the berries and form a flavourful syrup. Makes four large portions or six to eight smaller ones.
Michael Smith is the host of the Food Network's Chef at Home, Chef at Large and The Inn Chef.