I have always considered myself quite a nice person. I like food of all shapes, flavours and colours. From every country and continent. I don’t discriminate, I am an equal opportunity eater. It’s only the doctors who say I’m intolerant. And certain foods who refuse to tolerate me. They certainly refuse to recognise and respect my right to eat them without major physical discomfort and distress.


Gluten and lactose are not my friends.


Despite the negative attitudes surrounding me from many of those I love best, (cakes, ice cream, hot toast) I decided to become a chef. Not always easy when you live in a bread and milk filled world. I like to think that this has helped me become a better person as I embrace my differences and refuse to let the gluten get me down. I believe InTolerance. I am the InTolerant Chef.

Food should not be about what you can’t eat, but what you can and what you enjoy eating. This blog is about my journey of cooking and eating and discovery. It’s not a definitive guide to allergy awareness nor do my intolerances make me an expert. Your body is your responsibility, not mine. I only know what works for me.


I can tell you this..... No glutens were harmed in the making of this website.

September 10, 2011

Strawberry Shortcake



Don't you love it when the new season produce hits the markets?






Well, I know I do anyway. We're so lucky in Australia to have such a diversity of climate that we have a huge variety of goodies available at any one time. But, while it's all very well to have access to strawberries in the middle of winter, they're very expensive and like tomatoes, lack the fragrance and beauty that a kiss of the sun wakes in their souls.

Strawberries are beautifully Queensland fresh at the moment with the new season berries pretty good at $8 kg and so very sweet that I really feel the need to show them off.

I thought about a pavlova, pastries, jam, but finally came around to Strawberry Shortcake.

I love shortbread, and first considered layering discs of this with the berries, but decided not to mess to much with a classic and went for the more traditional shortcake instead.

According to Wikipedia, 'Shortbread is different from shortcake, which can be similar to shortbread, but which can be made using vegetable fat instead of butter and always uses a chemical leavening agent such as baking powder, which gives it a different texture.'

Does that confuse you as much as it confused me?

Basically it means that shortcake is more of a scone-type consistency than a biscuity/cookie type crunch. Easy Peasy.

Shortcake should always be layered with billowy clouds of softly whipped cream, and of course lashings of strawberries gently oozing their pretty pink juices to soak into the shortcake for the perfect spring experience.

Strawberry Shortcake
















1 cup GF plain flour
50g Castor sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Bicarb Soda
55g Butter
1 Egg
1/4 cup Lactose free Milk
Squeeze of Lemon juice

Punnet of Strawberries
Castor Sugar
Lactose free Cream (or cream, mascapone, yogurt etc.)


First things first, we want to get the strawberries going:

Roughly chop the berries and mix with a good handful of sugar. I won't tell you how much to use, because you should do it to taste, but you need enough to lightly coat the berries to draw out the juices.
















You can also add in some extra flavourings now if you like- some scraped vanilla seeds, or even a quick splash of balsamic or raspberry balsamic would work really well.
Set aside the berries for an hour or so. The sugar will sweeten and draw out the juices of the berries almost creating a perfect strawberry sauce, yummm...
















For the Shortcake:

Mix the milk and lemon juice together to acidulate it. You could use buttermilk instead, but I've not found a lactose free one before, so this will do the trick.

Place the dry ingredients together in a bowl, and mix together.

Rub the butter in with your fingertips until it looks nice and crumby.
(I had to use the mixer as my arms are partly out of action)
















Mix the egg and milk mix together, then add into the flour combo and bring it together into a soft ball of dough.

Pat it out nice and thickly and either use a cutter or split it into 4 even pieces.



Brush the tops with milk, or water and sprinkle liberally with extra castor sugar.




Pop on a lined tray and into a pre heated 200*c oven for 10-12 minutes.
Allow to cool down.
















Bringing it all together:

Beat the cream (or alternative) with some extra castor sugar until it's softly peaking, you can add in some vanilla too if you like.

Lightly crush the strawberries- I used a potato masher. We don't want a paste, just a rough smashing so the berries will mix through the cream nicely and not slip out of the shortcake the way they would if they were just sliced.

















Gently fold the cream and berries together- spoon the berries out carefully leaving the juice behind, or it will thin the cream to much. We're looking for a lovely marbled effect with chunks of berries still intact.
















Cut the shortcakes in half with a serrated knife.

Spoon a generous helping of berry cream onto the bottom half of the cake, then place the top half of the cake back on top.
















Put a little pile of berries in the middle to look pretty, and spoon over some of the yummy strawberry juices.
















Serve straight away, as it's not something that improves with time- and anyway, they're so pretty you won't be able to resist anyway!

These would be great for a BBQ, after a lunch or for afternoon tea. If I wanted them for dessert for a Spring Dinner, I would probably make thin discs of shortbread instead because I think the rich buttery crunch would be more elegant and provide a better contrast of textures. Just a more refined version of the shortcake is all.

littlej wolfed down my most photogenic example within minutes, so I guess that's a certain seal of approval from my family, and she can hardly wait for our own strawberries to fruit. The only problem is picking them before the dog sniffs them out and steals them all for himself!





So my Dear Readers, so you have any sweet treats growing in your garden, and do you have to fight anyone else for them like us?





.

20 comments:

  1. Oh yum! I'd love this with tea. How nice that you have strawberry plants, too. I wish I have a garden!

    ReplyDelete
  2. These look really delicious, I'll have to plant some strawberries in the garden next year. GG

    ReplyDelete
  3. wow.. i rememebr when i was young my strawberries never grew to ur extent.. i had to buy them... :(

    ive never eaten shortcakes before.. looks like a scone hey? mmh.. with tea YUMMMMII!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've got blueberries growing at the moment, but I think they are a good way off before I see any blue.
    These strawberry shortcakes look lovely. I'm loving the strawberry season at the moment!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I really need to get a garden going, now that I have a small space :) I love your wikipedia/food history/description little additions - I always learn something! I'm only just coming around to shortbread/shortcakes now, and Im so pleased. Delightful :)
    Heidi xo

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm all about strawberries this eek and last too! I've bought about 6 punnets just to eat and cook with. These are gorgeous, I adore strawberry shortcake! :D

    ReplyDelete
  7. Omg omg omg omg YUM! I tried growing strawberries again this year but to no avail.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Just mouthwatering...looks so easy to prepare and yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow! That might be the most impressive non-chocolate gluten-free lactose-free dessert ever! :) We didn't go to the markets last week, but I'll look out for strawberries when we're next there for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Such gorgeous presentation! I have gone strawberry-mad the last few weeks. So happy to have them back on my morning muesli :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. nice =) i love strawberries too ^^

    ReplyDelete
  12. This strawberry shortcake looks like a real treat and thankfully we don't have anything so sweet to fight over!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I've never had shortcake - not a fan of shortbread, so not sure if I'd like it. But I've been going a bit strawberry crazy, buying punnets and making smoothies for breakfast and adding them to desserts - I'd love to have a crack at growing them!

    ReplyDelete
  14. So loving the early strawberry season we have here in Australia. We'd be waiting at least another month back home in NZ. Strawberry shortcake=yum.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The only time I have eaten this was in Tetsuyas. Hahahah.. and I've read about it heaps in books, but have not had the luck to try some. Now I can make my own! Yay!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I do love strawbs (what's not to love right?) and your shortcake looks pretty amazeballs. I think I'll have to crank out my raw vegan version to sate me :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hello Lovelies!

    More and more warm season fruits in the markets each week, are you as excited as me? Even mangoes!!! I'm not a huge fan of apples and oranges to munch on, but give me a bowl of berries- and stand back!

    Leaf- Perfect with an Earl Grey! I wish you did too, they're so rewarding and you feel so rich picking your own. Maybe some day :)

    GlamorousGlutton- Thanks! I started mine as seedlings in wine barrels, but they spilled over the sides and have gone feral! I tried growing some from seeds, but wasn't as succesful. Good luck, and let us know how you go!

    Dolly- I still have to buy them most of the year too, but it's so nice to pick them fresh. A bit less fluffy, and a bit more sweet :)

    CityHippyFarmGirl- Last year our blueberry bush grew about 10 berries, and I had to pay littlej 10c each for them :) Me too!

    Heidi- Go for it, it's so rewarding! I'm a bit of a food nerd, and love finding out the stories behind recipes and ingredients :)

    Lorraine- That's the way to go, stock up while they're so perfect. I can't wait to see what you do with them!

    Cassandra- I've tried growing peas with no luck at all, and they are supposed to be fool proof! Maybe it's the soil?

    Kalyan- Thanks! Aren't they the best type of recipes :)

    Lisa- Thanks sweetie! You have the perfect excuse for seconds, now you're eating for two!

    Celia- Wow, thanks, what an extravagant compliment! Stock up while they're so good, they freeze well too.

    Christie- Thanks! What a perfect match. What does your little Poppy think of them?

    Yuki- Of course! What's not to love?

    Chopinandmysaucepan- Thanks! Not even the last piece of chocolate? :)

    JasmyneTea- This is not as buttery and is a different texture- hope that helps? But of course the berries are the star!

    Emma- My sister lives in Queensland, and one of the school fundraisers is selling 1kg punnets of strawberries- so much better than chocolate bars! Thanks!

    Msihua- I bet Tetsuyas was amazing!!! Its one of those recipes you always read about, isn't it? Yumm!

    Girl on Raw- So true! Thanks, and let me know how you go, raw food is something I'd like to know more about.

    ReplyDelete
  18. My dad would love this. He sometimes enjoys a fruit tartlett in the afternoon, and since my parents have both gone gf, my mom will have to bake them herself now. I'm sending her this! :)

    According to the season, we currently have apples and pears in the garden.

    ReplyDelete