May 28, 2015 Naturally, I bought the first ones I saw a few weeks ago, which cost me a small-to-medium fortune at the market (like, $1 per berry. And I’m only exaggerating a tiny bit.). But now they’ve gone mainstream and I can buy them in embarrassing quantities! Growing up on the Atlantic, local strawberries didn’t make their first appearance until closer to late June. But when they did, the first thing we’d make is strawberry shortcakes – tender, flakey biscuits smothered in macerated berries topped lavishly with enormous spoonfuls of whipped cream. They are one of my ultimate childhood summer food memories, and they bring me back instantly to the smell of freshly cut grass, the feeling of sticky hot sun, and of afternoons spent at the beach with my mom and sister. The biscuits that my grandmother made were wonderful, but took a special touch, plus rolling and cutting perfect circles. I make them sometimes and when I do, I think of her, but these buttermilk drop biscuits are light, fluffy, buttery, flakey and everything else that is good in the world. If you’re an avid baker, you might notice my recipe uses buttermilk, but uses only baking powder and not baking soda. This is because I wanted to keep the tang, not neutralize it. (Typically in baking, when an acidic ingredient – like buttermilk – is used, baking soda – a base – is used as the leavener, because the two react to make bubbles! Baking powder contains both the acid and the base, creates bubbles all by itself and won’t rob my biscuits of the tart buttermilk-y flavour. Whoa, geeky sidenote.) I just want to take a minute to thank you SO MUCH for reading, and that I know you may have noticed there has been a sudden influx of sponsored posts (when it rains, it pours!). I work really hard to make sure they are meaningful and beneficial to you, but all the same, I know branded content can be off-putting to some. So I just want to thank you with my whole heart for sticking by my side, allowing me to share my babble and make Foodess a career at the same time. You guys are literally the best. I wish I could make you all strawberry shortcakes with enormous amounts of whipped cream. MUAH!
