I’ll never forget my first bite of a local Indiana strawberry. The tiny red nuggets nestled together in a turquoise cardboard carton were picture-perfect—and the taste was intensely sweet, juicy ecstasy. Our go-to complement to summer berries is a splash of balsamic, fresh garden mint, and these shortcakes—orange-scented and lightly crunchy from glittery turbinado sugar. This dessert is well loved by our friends and family, and we’re happy to give away our secrets.
Ingredients
FOR THE SHORTCAKES
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ cup turbinado raw cane sugar, plus more for dusting
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup cold unsalted butter
- Zest of ½ orange
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
FOR SERVING
- 1 pound ripe strawberries
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- Sweetened Whipped Cream (here)
- 10 fresh mint leaves
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Make the shortcakes: In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, sugar, and kosher salt. Slice the butter into thin pieces and cut it into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or fork until it is well integrated and crumbly. Wash and dry the orange, then add the orange zest to the dough. Stir in the Greek yogurt and vanilla extract until a sticky dough forms and the flour is integrated.
- Grease a muffin tin and place an even amount of the dough into 8 muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the cakes with extra turbinado sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the tops are lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the toppings: Hull and slice the strawberries. In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries with the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar and let stand at room temperature until serving, stirring occasionally.
- Make the whipped cream. Thinly slice the mint.
- To serve, slice each shortcake in half. Add the strawberries, dollop with whipped cream, sprinkle with fresh mint, and top with the remaining half of the cake.
