Local strawberries are back!


There's nothing better than red, ripe, just picked strawberries. And turning those juicy, sweet berries into fabulous treats is a long standing tradition in all kinds of kitchens.

For three generations, the Russian Imperial kitchens were headed by the great French chef, Pierre Cubat. Assisted by a team of Russian cooks trained in the best culinary schools of France, Chef Cubat created dozens of simple yet elegant dishes.

One of Chef Cubat's most celebrated desserts was strawberries Romanov. The yummy combo of macerated berries set on a pillow of whipped cream is uniquely suited to dress up an American classic, strawberry shortcake.  In this gussied up version, the shortcake is kicked up a notch with a biscuit that has a satiny texture. When berry season ends, don't despair: think peaches and cream.

SHORTCAKE
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup salted butter, at room temp, cut into cubes
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons extra granulated sugar (reserve for sprinkling)

Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. Butter an 8 inch round cake pan, lining the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit. Whisk dry ingredients in a medium bowl to blend. Add butter chunks and use a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles crumbs.

In another bowl, mix the egg, cream and milk. Use a rubber spatula to stir the egg mixture into the flour crumb mixture until it forms a batter. It will thick and have a slighly lumpy look. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, use your spatula to smooth the top before you sprinkle the extra sugar on top. Baking with sugar sprinkles adds light crackly glaze to the cake top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a test with a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.  Set the pan on a wire rack to cool twenty minutes. While cake is cooling, prepare the strawberries.

STRAWBERRIES  
1 quart strawberries, trimmed and sliced
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
1 cup whipped cream
Powdered sugar, for sprinkling

Combine sliced berries, sugar, juice and liqueur in a bowl. Set aside for 30 minutes at room temp.  Cut the cake into eight wedges then cut each wedge horizontally in half. Set the bottoms on a dessert plate. Spoon berries and cream on each bottom and set each bottom with a top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.



Comments

  1. Sherri Browning ErwinJune 22, 2014 at 11:36 AM

    Strawberry shortcake used to be supper at Grandma's in June. Light as air biscuits, buttered, with the strawberries and whipped cream, or sometimes vanilla ice cream. She taught me how to make biscuits and dumplings, and I still do those well but not often.

    Also, I prefer without the OJ/liquer. I find the orange can be overpowering on the strawberries. But it's a nice touch for something a little different.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sherri Browning ErwinJune 22, 2014 at 11:38 AM

      She used more of a sugar biscuit instead of a shortcake, if that makes sense. They're pretty similar anyway, right?

      Delete
  2. Debby KozJune 22, 2014 at 11:41 AM

    Subbing in limoncello and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice with the sugar is nice too. Chef Cubat, being French, was an orange fan. But I have used lemon and sometimes peach with great success. Be creative - but DO try the shortcake recipe - this is no ordinary biscuit.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Janet BJune 22, 2014 at 12:00 PM

    Yes, real shortcake is fabulous. And this sounds wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nicolas DLBNovember 18, 2018 at 10:09 AM

    Debby, many thanks for this recipe. Where did you get it ? I am also interested by other Cubat's recipes ? Did you find them in a specific publication ? Could you please share them ?

    ReplyDelete

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