"If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, will answer you: I am here to live out loud." ~ Emile Zola

14 June 2010

Baking Out Loud: Vegan Strawberry Shortcake!

It's National Strawberry Shortcake Day! :D What better time to share my favorite recipe for vegan strawberry shortcake? The strawberries are sweet, juicy, and delish this time of year- make this while they are in season locally!
















Vegan Strawberry Shortcake (6 Servings)
from
http://www.vegancoach.com

(*my comments are in pink*)

This is such a yummy recipe. It's kind of time-intensive, but absolutely worth it. I made the berries first, then let them marinate while I made the shortcakes and whipped cream (I have used storebought, too, and it works well).

The BEST Vegan Whipped Cream

1/4 cup unbleached white flour
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup non-dairy butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1. In a small sauce pan, combine the flour and milk and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until VERY thick. Remove from heat and chill completely.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the powdered sugar and margarine until smooth. Add the extracts and beat until combined. Begin adding the cooled flour/soy milk paste 2 Tbsp. at a time and beating thoroughly after each addition until the mixture is completely smooth and the paste is incorporated.

3. Sometimes a hot kitchen or the action of the blender will cause your whipped cream to be VERY runny. Just pop it into the fridge for a bit and let it firm up to your desired consistency. Also, if you don't finish all the shortcakes in your first sitting (highly unlikely!!), refrigerate the whipped cream. This action will firm it up. Simply let it sit out for 10-20 minutes and stir again before using.


Strawberry Filling

Make sure you choose ripe, whole berries with little to no white areas, no moldy spots. Organic is always best (they are on the list of top 12 foods that should always be bought organic), and those grown in CA are best avoided.

4 cups sliced strawberries (about 2 pints)
2 Tablespoons granulated unrefined sugar
1 to 2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier or orange juice (optional) (I recommend 2T, as this time I made it with just one and we would have like more sauce.)

1. Place 2 cups sliced strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and crush lightly with fork. Stir in remaining berries along with Grand Marnier or orange juice, if using.

2. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.


Vegan Shortcakes

1/3 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice or cider vinegar
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons granulated unrefined sugar, plus 1 teaspoon to sprinkle on dough
1 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I am not a fan of nutmeg in this recipe, and prefer to leave it out)
1/3 cup non-dairy butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Set rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Combine milk and lemon juice or vinegar in measuring cup. Set aside for at least 5 minutes to curdle.

3. Combine flours, 3 Tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in large bowl. Stir well with wire whisk to aerate and combine.

4. Use small spoon to drop tiny bits of butter evenly over flour mixture. With pastry blender or fork, work in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

5. Add vanilla to milk mixture and drizzle over dry ingredients. Stir with fork just until mixture forms soft dough. (Do not overwork dough.) Personally, I just pick it all up and work it together with my hands.

6. Divide dough into 6 equal portions and place on prepared baking sheet. Shape into round blobs approximately 1" thick. Sprinkle the tops with 1 teaspoon sugar.

7. Bake until tops have hint of color and bottoms are lightly browned, 10-12 minutes (watch so they don't burn). Transfer shortcakes to wire rack to cool.

Serve shortcakes topped with the yummy berries and a large dollop of whipped cream. SO fresh, light and awesome!

3 comments:

VeganCraftastic said...

I might just have to try this, I've never actually had strawberry shortcake before!

VeggieAmanda said...

This looks absolutely heavenly! Mmm!

Jenn said...

I knew there had to be a way to make vegan whipped cream. Yum!