Strawberries and Cream Biscuits

February 13, 2013

Strawberries & Cream Biscuits |une gamine dans la cuisine

Enjoying strawberries in the middle of February is liberating- it's laughing in the face of winter (something I find thoroughly fulfilling).

Last weekend I was lucky enough to find strawberries at the grocery store- they were not very sweet, but I still took pleasure in pretending that I was surrounded by the month of June- if only for a little while...

Strawberries & Cream Biscuits |une gamine dans la cuisine

These blithe little biscuits are perfect for Valentines Day breakfast. They can literally be tossed together in a matter of minutes, but they leave a bit of carnage in their wake.

My cluttered little kitchen counter was a sticky mess of flour, berry juice, and cream...I was *this* close to letting Niles "clean" things up for me. (Niles, for those of you who are new, is a blasé, come-what-may, cat.) He looks like Fizzgig from The Dark Crystal, but has the laid-back attitude of a sun worshiping surfer. He's fabulous.

If you can't find fresh strawberries, feel free to use whatever fruits are available. These biscuits acquire their fluff and dreamy texture from a cup of heavy cream- I'm sure they'll comply, happily, with anything from blueberries, to apples, to cherries.

Happy Valentines Day, everyone! xo 

Strawberries & Cream Biscuits |une gamine dans la cuisine

Strawberries and Cream Biscuits
yields about 8-10 biscuits

ingredients
50 grams (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
Grated zest from one lemon
280 grams (2 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
130 grams (1 cup) strawberries, chopped
1 cup heavy cream

lemon glaze (optional)
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

method
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line a large, flat cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large, wide mixing bowl- combine the sugar and lemon zest. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar until moist and fragrant. Whisk in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold butter bits and toss to coat. Use a pastry cutter to blend the butter into the dry ingredients until you're left with a crumbly mixture and the butter pieces are the size of peas and oatmeal.

Add the chopped berries and gently toss them through the dough until coated. Add the cream and, using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold it into the dough just until everything comes together. {Note: If there are a few dry patches, don't worry- it's better to under-mix.) Set the spatula aside and use both hands to gently knead- just enough to get the dough to form one mass.

Generously flour a work surface. Carefully press the dough out until it's about 3/4-inch thick (don't worry about the shape since you'll be cutting out circles). Cut out as many circles as possible using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter (or glass rim). You can re-roll the scraps but the biscuits won't turn out quite as fluffy as the first round.

Place the biscuits on the prepared sheet, leaving about 1-inch of space between each. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the biscuits are light golden in colour. Remove the sheet from the oven and let the biscuits cool for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

for the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. If the glaze is too thick add a splash of juice or milk. Use a fork or whisk to drizzle the glaze over the biscuits.

Best enjoyed on the same day they're made.

adapted from smitten kitchen

36 comments:

  1. Those look so Those look so darn yummy, and you know how much I love a biscuit!

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  2. Are these similar to a scone? They look and sound delicious!

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  3. I had buttermilk to use up about a week or so ago, and was so close to making biscuits with it but couldn’t decide on a recipe…so just made quickbread and a cake/bread and crackers. I still have a biscuit craving & yours are gorgeous. And the strawberries. And Glaze. And good to know this recipe of Deb's is a keeper. I remember it but had totally forgotten about it!

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  4. @Anon, These are fluffier and lighter than scones...not quite as dry either. :D

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  5. Lovely biscuits! I bet they taste wonderful.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  6. Oh biscuits, these are just what I need in my life to help me fend off my spring allergies! So lovely! :)

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  7. Val, these biscuits are lovely! I especially adore the lemon glaze! Love the idea to create them with any available fruit, too. Happy Valentine's Day to you and your best {furry} friend! xox

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  8. What an ingenious and wonderful looking recipe. Sort of a "Wimbledon breakfast" all wrapped up in a biscuit! :) I love it. Beautiful work!

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  9. These look wonderful. I've actually been finding some wonderful strawberries at the market lately. I think there would be some happy faces if I served these for breakfast! :)

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  10. These look fantastic! I've actually found some wonderful strawberries at the market in the last few weeks. Beautiful photos!

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  11. The best thing about biscuits is eating them warm. I can´t wait to make these with fresh peaches! I want a cat like yours Valerie.

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  12. Being British, whenever I see the word 'biscuits' I think of cookies. But these were a gorgeous surprise with their sticky bursts of strawberry and the perfect colour for Valentine's Day. Beautiful.

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  13. Happy Valentine's, Valerie! And to Niles as well! Yum, biscuits with any kind of fruits are a real treat at home. We don't often make them, but when they do - and if they look even half as nice as yours - they get devoured first thing in the day! I'm back at work now, so I should be making my own pastries more...instead of buying some of these "plastic" looking treats from nearby chain stores!

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  14. I just love your photos. These look wonderful!

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  15. These look delicious! Love strawberries so much :)

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  16. What beautiful biscuits, and what a lovely idea for Valentine's Day. I love your photos, although they would have been fun with Niles in them too. Hope you have a wonderful day too!

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  17. The strawberries in my parts have been strangely fantastic lately, and I'm loving it! These look perfect for dreaming of spring :)

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  18. I haven't been able to find strawberries in the grocery stores yet...but soon I hope. They start early in my part of the world...
    The biscuits look delicious.

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  19. Love strawberries in February! These biscuits look sooo goood!

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  20. biscuits filled with cream and strawberries sound like perfection right now. as soon as i get more strawberries, these are totally getting made. and niles sounds like a fabulous feline!

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  21. So happy to have found your blog... really lovely. Would like some of these Strawberry and Cream Biscuits now to go with my morning coffee. :)

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  22. Oh mah Lawd! Sweet biscuits with strawberries!! Loves it!
    Niles sounds like one awesome roommate...I think I love him. Prrrr... :-D

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  23. Lovely photos and biscuits! I am lucky that I can find strawberries year round here. I think I need to make these over the long holiday weekend. Delish!!!!

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  24. Strawberries are a regular feature in my home always in my freezer so I'm thinking a could still make these. I like a biscuit with a little glaze on top.

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  25. I had a basket of strawberries in my hand the other day and was think, boy if that isn't the perks of living in California in the dead of winter. Ours weren't too bad either, but I'm waiting for those June ones. Your biscuits were a grand way to use them.
    -Gina-

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  26. Beautiful strawberry biscuits-love your photos!
    I picked up a basket of strawberries last week, they needed a little sugar but were very good all the same ;-)

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  27. I would LOVE some good strawberries right now... especially in the form of these scones!!

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  28. Oh, I like the looks of these - fresh, simple and not too sweet. I'm thinking a biscuit (okay, two) would pair perfectly with my favorite Earl Green tea.

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  29. There's something about strawberries in baked goods that makes me happy. These biscuits are begging to be made. :)

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  30. This look really yummy and strawberries are my favorite. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe.

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  31. Hi!! I decided to make this recipe today (luv,luv,luv your blog) and was confused by the absence of leavening. Smitten Kitchen uses 1 tablespoon baking powder, which I opted to do, as well. Do you make these without leavening? I loved your addition of glaze!!!

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  32. @Bakingtherapist: Yikes!! I forgot to include the baking powder! (Thanks for catching that for me.) XO

    Thank you for the lovely words - hopefully the leavening agent snafu has not tarnished my reputation...too much. :D

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  33. I just finished making these, and they ended up being delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe!! I do want to point out that the method section does not mention the baking powder at all. Once again, thank you for introducing me to this treat!!

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  34. @Anon: That pesky baking powder is destined to haunt me in this recipe. :D Thanks for letting me know!

    Glad you liked the biscuits! xo

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  35. FOR HOW LONG IS GOOD FOR EATING?

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    Replies
    1. Hi, Sheila; If you keep the biscuits well-covered, at room temperature, the should last for about 3 days. :)

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Thanks for visiting, and for taking the time to read through my ramblings!
If you have a recipe comment or question, I'd love to hear from you.

Happy Baking!
♥ Valerie

 

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