Brown Sugar Strawberry Shortcakes

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Strawberries are in season, and what better way to celebrate the early days of summer than with these simple, healthy shortcakes?

I love all things strawberry:

I love strawberry ice cream, strawberry milkshakes, strawberry pie, strawberry daiquiris, even strawberry-flavored lip gloss. But I am also very health conscious. I like to use whole, natural ingredients as much as possible, especially when baking.

So when I came across Southern-born chef Virginia Willis’s lightened-up strawberry shortcake recipe in her new cookbook, Lighten up, y’all, I was instantly sold. This dessert offers the best of both worlds: making good use of the season’s fresh strawberries while keeping the calorie count down. Topped with homemade vanilla cream (only 21 calories per tablespoon!), Virginia’s Brown Sugar Strawberry Shortcakes are sure to become instant warm-weather classics.

Brown Sugar-Strawberry Shortcakes

For the shortcakes:

  • 1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼  teaspoon fine seat salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon water (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons raw, turbinado, or demerara sugar (optional)
  • 4 cups sliced strawberries

For the vanilla cream:

  • ½ cup plain 2 percent Greek yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and oil and pulse until the mixture resembles meal. Add the buttermilk and vanilla. Process until the dough pulls together. (It will be very soft.)

Using a rubber spatula, transfer the dough to a floured board. Knead several times so the dough comes together. Pat evenly into an 8-inch circle about ½-inch thick. Cut out rounds of dough with a 2 ¾- of 3-inch round cutter dipped in flour; press the cutter straight down without twisting so the shortcakes will rise evenly when baked.

Place the shortcakes on the prepared baking sheet. Gather the dough together and repeat with remaining dough. Brush the shortcakes with water and sprinkle with water sugar. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool slightly.

Toss the strawberries with the remaining tablespoon of raw sugar in a medium bowl.

Meanwhile, make the vanilla cream. Combine the yogurt, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl and stir. Set aside.

To serve, split the shortcakes horizontally. Spoon the strawberries and juice onto the bottoms, top with the cream mixture and replace the shortcake tops. Serve immediately.