A new take on shortcake

Strawberry shortcake is, in my opinion, the most perfect dessert.  Of course this is dependent upon the quality of the shortcake and the strawberries.

In June, you can pretty much count on strawberries being top notch. I’ve also found what is probably the best shortcake recipe on the internet– one that is as good as– no, actually trumps– the shortcake recipe on the Bisquick box which was long my favorite despite the fact it was on the Bisquick box.  The completely homemade shortcake recipe was on the Food Network website and it was really wrong, but thank goodness for reviews and comments because that helped correct all its flaws.   It makes a lightly sweet, slightly crumbly shortcake that’s soft in the middle and has a pleasantly crunchy crust. 

I’ve been making this particular shortcake for about a year and have recently found myself wanting to experiment with some new flavors.  My basil is starting to go nuts and I’m not quite ready to start making pesto, so I wanted to incorporate some of that.  I made a lemon-basil shortbread a couple of years ago that was absolutely intoxicating. I figured if lemon and basil works in shortbread, why not shortcake?

I mixed the dry ingredients for the shortcake together and cut in the butter and shortening before adding in the finely chopped basil, lemon zest and lemon juice.  After I’d incorporated that, I poured in the half-and-half (did I mention these aren’t lowfat?) and stirred until the dough just came together.  The shortcakes went into the oven and came out 15 minutes later lightly golden, flecked with basil and sparkling on top from a sprinkling of raw sugar.

I couldn’t even wait for them to cool before I pulled a tiny nibble off one of the shortcakes.  They brought the memory of that lemon-basil shortbread back to life.  With ice cream and strawberries it was a  taste of summer with the basil and lemon providing a  je ne sais quois — that turned the familiar into something new and intriguing.

 

Next time, I’ll try the shortcakes with blueberries– I think the blueberries and basil will be an even more divine combination.

 

Lemon Basil Shortcake

2 c. flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. sugar (or a little less)
2 Tbsp. shortening
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2/3 c. plus 1 Tbsp. half and half
melted butter
raw sugar

Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut or rub in shortening and butter until dough is the size of small peas. Add basil, lemon juice and zest and stir (don’t be tempted to the add lemon juice to the half and half– it will curdle it). Add the half and half and stir until all the dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough just comes together. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake in a 400 degree oven 15 minutes until lightly golden.  Makes 8 shortcakes.

Does this cinnamon roll make my butt look fat?

I have found what could quite possibly be the world’s largest cinnamon roll.  I’m not counting the cinnamon rolls that are made as part of a stunt to get into some sort of world record book or in honor of National Cinnamon Roll day (if there is such a thing, which I’m sure there probably is).  I’m just talking about your everyday,  average, run-of-the-mill cinnamon rolls served at diners, cafes and restaurants on a regular basis. 

I encountered this behemoth, butter-laden pastry at the Rocking Chair Cafe in Conway, Missouri which is smack-dab between Springfield and Lebanon along I-44.  I’d read the cinnamon rolls were big here, but I was not fully prepared for what I saw as the waitress approached my table.  When she saw my face she guffawed.  Other patrons whispered and tittered as I whipped out my camera to take a photo (little did they know that I take pictures of lots of food).

It was so big it was spilling off the plate. This cinnamon roll was 7 inches across and 3 1/2 inches high in the center and about 3 inches around the outside (yes, I actually used a ruler).  And DAMN was it ever good.  Sometimes big food can be really disappointing, but not this time.  They way I figure it, it was at least 147 cu. inches of scrumptiousness.  And I know I’m a hypocrite the way I go on about this cinnamon roll because I’m the first to complain about how gargatuan portion sizes doled out at restaurants are making Americans fat, but in my defense I had to struggle to finish half of it.

I googled for photos of what other people consider the “biggest cinnamon roll” and found a few examples here and here that pale in comparison to the monster at the Rocking Chair.   Are there any other cinnamon rolls out there that can beat this one? I’d love to see it if there is.

Roadtrip Redux: The beekeeper cometh

Last month, I wrote about my roadtrip to California which included a stop at a great Mexican restaurant in Winslow, AZ where I briefly met a beekeeper who sells his honey to the restaurant.

Well, it turns out the beekeeper, Roy Crain, has family in the same are of Missouri where I currently live.  Roy’s wife, Karen, found my blog while googling camelthorn honey and told me they were coming to Missouri and were bringing me some honey.  I was THRILLED– not only about the honey, but that she’d also  stumbled upon my blog.

I chatted with Roy on the phone a few times and we agreed to meet at a little diner in Conway, MO.   Roy, Karen and their daughter Jessie and I shared a lot of conversation, coffee and the biggest cinnamon rolls you’ve ever seen (more on that in another post). 

It turns out that Roy is a railroad man, and beekeeping is his hobby.  In fact, honeybees are in his blood, you could say.  His grandfather also kept bees and Roy took it up about 15 years ago.  He was one of the first people in Arizona– if not the first– to have his bees produce camelthorn honey by setting up hives in an area surrounded by the thorny, flowering shrubs which are considered a noxious weeds in Arizona and elsewhere.  But the bees apparently love the small, pink flowers and use it to wonderful effect to make a delicate, bright-flavored honey with a hint of spice that’s  incredibly different from the typical clover honey which has a heavier, more cloying sweetness.

Roy now runs anywhere from 50 to 100 hives around Arizona and makes several different kinds of honey including a Winslow Wildflower which is almost as dark as molasses and has a deeper, more complex taste than the camelthorn–Roy calls it burnt–  that tickles the back of my throat.

As sweet and good as Roy’s honey is, it’s even sweeter that this blog and a shared interest in food could allow us to cross paths again.  It’s further proof of my belief that people who appreciate and produce good, honest food are usually good people.

If you ever find yourself in Winslow, Arizona– sure go by and see the famous corner– but also make it a point to look up Roy and try some of his honey.

Painted Desert Honey Co.

928-289-4863