It’s August and our gardens are in full growth mode, what a delightful exciting growing time of year. I had doubled the size of my vegetable garden this spring and am enjoying even more abundance of fresh fruits and veggies. Unfortunately, last year’s torrential rains wiped out my raspberry and strawberry patch, so I don’t have any of my own berries this year. I am thankful so many people share their bounty at local farmers markets because one of my all-time favorites is strawberry shortcake. 

Here is a recipe for whole wheat shortcakes, they are heartier than the lightweight store-bought chiffon cakes. I prefer them and enjoy serving them in a bowl and adding a little almond milk to the bottom for the short cake to soak up. Since I planted blueberry bushes last spring, I enjoy a sprinkling of those on top of the whipped cream. You can never have too many berries!

Strawberry Shortcakes

Ingredients:

• 1-quart strawberries, cored and sliced

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/3 cup shortening

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 3 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¾ cup almond milk

• Sweetened Whipped Cream

Process:

1. Mix strawberries with 1 cup sugar; let stand 1 hour.

2. Heat oven to 450 degrees. 

3. Cut shortening into flour, 2 T. sugar, the baking powder and salt until mixture resembles fine crumbs. 

4. Stir in milk just until blended

5. Gently smooth dough into a ball on lightly floured board.

6. Knead a bit, until it’s well combined, but not sticky

7. Roll out gently to about ½ inch thick

8. Fold the dough over on itself and gently roll out again just to loosely stick the folded dough together.

9. Cut with a knife or biscuit cutter into rounds or squares.

10. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

11. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes.

12. Split apart while still warm, stack in a bowl with strawberries and whipped cream

I met one of our new Master Gardener interns while working on a project team a couple weeks ago. We, of course, got to chatting about food and using herbs we grow. She requested a reprinting of my recipe for Rosemary Shortbread, since she wasn’t a Master Gardener when this recipe was first published in the Garden Buzz years ago. The Rosemary shortbread is a mouth-watering treat and definitely worth repeating. I hope you all enjoy it.

Rosemary Shortbread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

• 1 teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt

• 1 cup unsalted cold butter, cut into 1-inch chunks

• 1-2 teaspoons rosemary, chestnut or other dark, full-flavored honey

Process:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees

2. In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar, rosemary and salt.

3. Add butter and honey and pulse to fine crumbs.

4. Pulse a few more times until some crumbs start to come together, but don’t overprocess. Dough should not be smooth.

5. Press dough into an ungreased 9-inch baking dish.

6. Prick all over with a fork.

7. Bake until gold brown, 35-40 minutes.

8. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

9. Cut into squares, bars or wedges while still warm.

Photo Credit: Joy Johnson (1), pixabay.com (2)