Strawberry shortcake in a shot glass

Yard work is a back breaking job, I admire people who manage huge gardens. Everything takes time and when you spend time on something it really shows, be it a garden, house, hobby or even a relationship. Nothing really nurtures on it’s own, except weeds. And then you think about farmers and farms, how meticulous. Its one thing to have a few herbs in pot and another to grow it in bulk. And then you have delicate fruits like strawberries and berries. As I bite into the juicy strawberries, I cannot help but think of the farm that grew it. Strawberry shortcake was on my to-do list for a while, and I really wanted to do my own take on it. Nothing fancy but extremely cute and absolutely delectable. I love desserts in shot glasses, you can make them ahead of time, they are easy to serve, easy cleanup and you can really get very creative with it. Of all the shot glasses desserts Strawberry shortcake in a shot glass is my favorite.  I do love my panna-cotta, but I just love the colors and the summer taste of this little dessert.  You can do multiple variations and that’s what makes it fun, you can always make it your own by adding your touch. And it never gets boring. You can make it boozy by adding brandy to the strawberry compote…now I get your attention ;) 

The recipe has 3 components to it

Scones
strawberry compote
whipped cream


Scones 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

2tsp baking powder

1/4tsp salt

1 large egg

75gms cold unsalted butter

1tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup half n half or cream

Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients and add the chopped butter and crumble with your hands. Make a well in the dough and add a beaten egg, cream and vanilla extract. Fold the dough, lightly and  make a big ball. Don’t over handle the dough. Roll the dough (thick) and cut with a cookie cutter into circular shapes as small or big as you want. Bake for 12-16 min. Recipe from here.  

Let it cool 

Strawberry compote 

2 cups strawberries

3/4 cup sugar ( more if strawberry is tart and less if it’s sweet)

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar or brandy 

Now when you are serving a dessert in a shot glass….your guests might expect more than a regular compote. 

When I use balsamic, I do add  a tsp of red chili powder. Bring on the heat! 

Wash the strawberries and chop it. In a sauce pan add the straw berries and sugar and bring to a boil,  add the balsamic or brandy and wait for a min or so. turn of the heat, let it cool completely. Refrigerate, till cold. 

Whipped Cream

Whip sugar, vanilla extract and cream till they form stiff peaks. Use a pipe or just an old fashioned spoon.  Refrigerate. When I whip cream, I use a frozen steel bowl to whip it in. 

Assembling the dessert 

Crumble the scones,  add 1/2 cup sugar and candies ginger pieces (about 4 tbsp)

Layer the crumple, followed by berry compote and crumble again, top it with freshly whipped cream and a basil to add the touch. Enjoy !

@Driscollsberry and #StrawShortcake