Hang on to Summer With This Balsamic-Roasted Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Don’t say goodbye to summer just yet. This Balsamic-Roasted Strawberry Shortcake recipe, with its delightful mixture of sweet, juicy, fluffy, and crispy flavors, is a sure way to keep summer alive for as long as possible. Inspired by last month’s Sutter Home Book Club selection, “Same Beach, Next Year,” this recipe is perfect as a refreshing snack or an irresistible dessert for your whole book club to enjoy.

Recipe: Balsamic-Roasted Strawberry Shortcakes

Makes 10 servings

Brown Sugar Maple-Glazed Biscuits:

• 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping the dough
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, frozen, plus 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Strawberries:

• 1 1/2 pints strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whipped Cream:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Make the biscuits: Heat the oven to 400 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda into a large bowl. Using a box grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour. Using the tips of your fingers, gently work the butter into the dough until it resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Add the buttermilk and gently stir to form a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape it into an 8 x 12-inch rectangle that’s about 1.5 inches thick. Using a biscuit cutter (or a drinking glass, in a pinch), cut out as many biscuits as possible. Reshape the dough and repeat, working the dough as little as possible. You should end up with 10 biscuits.
4. Transfer the biscuits to one of the prepared baking sheets and bake for just 20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan and stir in the maple syrup. Liberally brush the biscuit tops with the maple butter and bake for 10 minutes more, or until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits have cooked through. Set the biscuits on a wire rack to cool. Keep the oven on.
5. Make the strawberries: In a large bowl, toss the berries, vinegar, maple syrup, and vanilla and spread them on the second prepared baking sheet. Roast the strawberries for 20 minutes, or until the berries have softened nicely.
6. Meanwhile, make the whipped cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl using a hand mixer), whip the cream until thickened. Stir in the maple syrup and vanilla.
7. Split the biscuits horizontally and place a dollop of whipped cream on the bottom half. Spoon on the roasted strawberries and top with the other biscuit half, and some more cream for good measure.

Find the recipe for Balsamic-Roasted Strawberry Shortcakes and more in “Eat Delicious: 125 Recipes for Your Daily Dose of Awesome,” by Dennis Prescott.

“Eat Delicious” book page: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062456038/eat-delicious

Entertaining tip from “Eat Delicious”: “Summertime living is full of happiness, with the beach, backyard grilling sessions, and in-season fruits and veggies completely rocking the culinary landscape. And the time of year when folks head to local U-Pick farms to collect baskets of fresh, perfectly juicy berries. The king of berries? The almighty strawberry. Delicious! When strawberry season is in high gear, there’s really nothing quite like homemade strawberry shortcake.” Serve your book club some seasonal fare to make the most of the last few weeks of summer!