I continually see recipes in books and magazines using the phrase ‘Whole Wheat’ in the title. I get excited and start reading, only to find the recipe also calls for white flour. It seems to me, if a recipe says ‘Whole Wheat’ in the title, it should’t use any refined flour. It’s confusing enough trying to decipher what food labels mean (“All-Natural, Lower-Calorie, Zero Trans-Fats Chemically Enhanced”). Inaccurate recipe titles make matters even more complicated. I don’t think bakers deliberately try to deceive readers. Maybe they just want credit for including the stuff. Here’s a simple plea to the world of food writers and recipe publishers: “Please, keep ‘Whole Wheat’ whole!” Is that too much to ask? It might be.
The season’s first strawberries have arrived at the markets and I decided it was about time to create a whole wheat strawberry shortcake recipe. Not too dense, not too sweet, buttery, flaky, light, with honey-sweetened strawberries and whipped cream. I hope you’ll enjoy them, even without the magic words in the title.
Serves: Serves 6
Adapted from Cooks Illustrated.?
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 pints strawberries, sliced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 2/3 cup cold buttermilk
- 8 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F and adjust rack to middle position. Toss together strawberries and honey in a small bowl. Set aside. Whisk whole wheat pastry flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. In a medium bowl whisk together buttermilk, cooled butter, egg and honey. Pour buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients and stir until incorporated. Spoon 1/3 cup scoops of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12-15 minutes until tops are golden brown. Cool for 20 minutes.
- Whip cream and honey together until soft peaks form.
- Cut each shortcake in half, spoon several tablespoons of whipped cream on the bottom-inside layer of the shortcake. Spoon strawberries over cream and top with other half of shortcake. Serve immediately.
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