Breakfast strawberry shortcake

Getting ready to hit the road for a few days on lovely Shelter Island with some good friends -- but before we go, I leave you with this little bit of breakfast deliciousness. For Father's Day, I wanted to make something special for Mark, and he loves him some strawberry shortcake. I started to think that if made with biscuits, it's pretty breakfast-y -- so with a little tweaking, I turned it into a morning meal. Make it with strawberries while they're still juicy and sweet -- or try it with other berries, or nectarines or plums. Heck, in the winter you could saute up some apples and pears, too.

Enjoy -- and happy 4th!

Breakfast Strawberry Shortcake

Serves 4

(Recipe by me, with help)

Biscuits (adapted from this recipe)

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 cup plain, full-fat yogurt

1/2 cup whole milk (or sub 3/4 cup buttermilk for the yougurt and milk)

1 Tbsp. milk or cream (for brushing)

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or Silpat.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda (you can sift, but I just whisked). Blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembes coarse meal. Add yogurt and milk and stir with a fork until dough just holds together. 

3. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface and knead 5 to 7 times, just until dough holds together. Pat it into about an 8-by-5-inch rectangle (don't worry about making it perfect). Cut dough into rough squares with a chef's knife, or into rounds with a biscuit cutter. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet and brush with milk or cream. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until pale golden. Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.

While the biscuits are baking make...

Macerated Strawberries

1 quart strawberries, hulled and quartered

1 Tbsp. sugar

Pinch of salt

1 Tbsp. orange zest

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir gently until the sugar dissolves. Cover and let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until the berries are juicy and beginning to soften, 15 to 20 minutes.

Mascarpone Cream

2 oz. mascarpone cheese

3/4 cup plain full-fat yogurt

2 tsp. honey

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well mixed. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Add more honey if you like it sweet.)

To serve: Split a biscuit. Drop a dollop of mascarpone cream on top and scatter berries over cream.