And … Memphians Justin Fox Burks and Amy Lawrence just happen to have my go-to recipe for this treat. They are the duo behind the blog “The Chubby Vegetarian,” and cookbooks like “The Southern Vegetarian” (which this recipe is in).
Here are their top 5 tips for making Strawberry Shortcake.
1. When you get your strawberries home, take a moment to pick through them and take out any that are getting soft. Amy says to go ahead and wash and freeze those for smoothies in the future. This also will help the other berries keep longer the fridge.
2. Amy and Justin like growing boxwood basil specifically for this recipe — it’s tiny! But you can also just use the smaller leaves of traditional basil for this if you have that available.
3. Strawberry jam adds extra flavor to their recipe. Amy says is easy to make jam at home, and you don’t necessarily need pectin; a long strip or two of lemon peel will help the jam come together.
4. Keep your butter for the shortcakes very cold — cube it small and pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes before incorporating it into the flour mixture.
5. Amy and Justin say you can easily make this recipe vegan by subbing in plant-based buttery spread, plant-based whipped topping and a vegan egg product.
This is Jennifer Chandler with The Weekly Dish. Bon Appetit!
For more information on The Chubby Vegetarian (and Justin and Amy’s books and recipes), visit www.thechubbyvegetarian.com.
Their recipe for Strawberry Shortcakes can be found here: http://chubbyvegetarian.blogspot.com/2011/04/strawberry-basil-shortcake-sliders.html
