Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake
Now that we are getting some folks following our adventure, we are starting to receive requests for recipes. Tim and I were grocery shopping, and a gal we know stopped us in the parking lot. After exchanging pleasantries, she ask us about Gluten Free recipes. She has a gluten intolerance, so we said we would see what we could do. I have never made anything gluten free in my life………yikes! What did I say we would do????
I decide that dessert would be the best place to start, and strawberries are just making their spring appearance in the grocery store. So Strawberry Shortcake seemed like a good choice.
I know several people who have gluten intolerances and although products have come a long way, I know they have struggled finding replacement for some of their favorite foods. So, in an effort to try and make some thing gluten free and still tasty, and to live up to my word, I searched……… I came across several sites that had a variety of ways to make gluten free products, but to be honest some of them sounded like science experiments.
I was really looking for something easy that would not require a beaker and bunsen burner. As I was looking at all the gluten free items at the grocery store, my eye caught Almond Flour, now we like almonds, so I figured it should be a good replacement for flour. The rest was just basic baking items, butter, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda. I was a little worried after I mixed the dough, as it was really sticky and still wet, but I remembered reading in one recipe I saw that they chilled the dough, so in the frig it went. After about 10-15 minutes it was a nice dough. I scooped mine with an ice cream scoop but I think you could roll them out if you wanted too. I topped mine with Turbinado sugar for an extra little crunch and shine (old trick from my bakery days). I let them cool and could not help myself and tasted one……….I was sooooo surprised, they were really tasty. More dense than a traditional shortcake biscuit, but if I could not tolerate gluten these would be a perfect substitution.
Now about those strawberries, I know what you’re thinking………Balsamic Vinegar has she gone mad!!!! I truthfully thought that the first time I saw a recipe using vinegar with strawberries, but do your self a favor…….TRY IT………I make strawberries this way all the time and it is awesome. The brown sugar and the balsamic makes almost like a syrup for those beautiful red berries. The berries and the syrup they make soaks into that shortcake beautifully and topped with a dollop of whipped cream………..a little piece of heaven…..I don’t think anyone would be able to tell it was gluten free.
So, if you or your family, or a friend has an intolerance to gluten, try this recipe as a replacement for that traditional Strawberry Shortcake that is a summer dessert favorite.
