Buckwheat Strawberry Shortcakes

Serves 9

These small cream scones were created by Alice Medrich, and I have adapted the recipe just a bit. They are easy to make and a wonderful way to introduce buckwheat flour into your baking. If you like, you can substitute whole-wheat pastry flour for some of the all-purpose flour–a change I like to make. You can also use more or less cream in the filling, depending on how indulgent you want these shortcakes to be. If you don’t have access to buckwheat flour but want to make a whole-grain scone, simply take the total flour amount and make it half whole-wheat pastry flour and half all-purpose flour.

For the shortcakes:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (5 ounces)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buckwheat flour (1.7 ounces)
1/4 cup maple crystals
1-3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 cup heavy cream, plus extra for brushing tops

For the filling:

1-1/4 cups heavy cream
maple crystals to taste
2 to 2-1/2 pints (16-20 ounces) fresh strawberries, rinsed, patted dry, hulled, and sliced

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, and place a rack in the center position in the oven. Line a baking sheet with 2 layers of parchment paper to protect the bottoms of the shortcakes from browning before the interiors are cooked.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the flours, maple crystals, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and pour the cream into it. Use a rubber spatula to push the dry ingredients from the sides of the bowl into the well, cutting and turning the mixture just until the dry ingredients are moistened and the dough looks rough and shaggy.

3. Gather the dough into a ball and knead it gently against the sides of the bowl 5 or 6 times, pressing loose pieces into the dough, until it holds together and the bowl is fairly clean. The dough should not be smooth.

4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and pat it into a 6″ square, about 3/4″ thick. Trim the edges using a sharp knife and quick downward pressure so as not to compress the dough (this approach gives you the best rise).

5. Cut the dough into 9 squares and place them at least 1″ apart on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with cream and bake the shortcakes until the tops are golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Cool on a rack.

6. Meanwhile, in a chilled bowl, whip the cream, sweetening it lightly to taste as the cream thickens. If your berries are sweet, you may not need the maple crystals at all. Continue beating until the cream holds a soft shape–not too stiff.

7. Slice each shortcake horizontally in half. Place the bottom halves on serving plates. Top each with a scoop of berries and a dollop of cream. Cover with the tops of the cakes and serve.

Note: You can serve the shortcakes warm or at room temperature. You can make the whipped cream a few hours ahead of time and keep it covered in the refrigerator. You can wash and slice the berries up to an hour before serving them.