Volume 10, Issue 099 - May 18, 2006

Hello ,

Virtually everyone knows strawberries are healthy—48 percent rate them above other fruits, noting that they are "one of the most healthy fruits you can eat", or are "one of the fundamentals of a healthy diet."

Eating strawberries improves overall diet quality by providing essential nutrients and minerals including fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and powerful antioxidants such as anthocyanins, quercetin and ellagic acid.

Source: California Strawberry Commission

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Fresh Strawberry Scones

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cup unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons butter, refrigerated
1/2 cup fruit juice concentrate
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 cups sliced California strawberries
4 tablespoons strawberry jam

Preparation:

Special equipment recommended, preferably a rubber spatula or a plastic dough divider.

Stir the flour and baking powder together. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Mix the fruit juice concentrate and milk together, stir in the lemon zest. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour in the liquid and begin to mix together using the plastic dough divider or rubber spatula. The dough should come together forming a ball, yet remain fairly sticky, hence the need for the dough divider. This will make your task much simpler.

Knead the dough a few times in the bowl until it forms a workable ball, yet retaining most of its stickiness-you may need to work in an extra tablespoon or two of flour. Put the dough down to a circle about 3/4 inch thick, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Prepare a baking sheet by sprinkling it with a generous amount of flour. Cut the dough with a serrated knife down the middle, as if you were splitting an English muffin. Place the bottom half of the scone dough on the baking sheet, lay the sliced strawberries evenly and place dollops of the jam to cover the bottom half. Lay the top of the scone dough over this and slightly crimp the edges together. You may want to carefully lift the dough at this point to check that enough flour has been sprinkled beneath it to prevent if from sticking while it bakes. If not, add a little extra.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut the dough, using the dough divider or a blunt knife, into 8 equal pie-shaped wedges. Brush the top with a little milk or egg whites for a shinier appearance. Bake for 14 minutes or until browned. Serve when cooled just enough to handle, or store covered and re-heat in the toaster oven to crisp.

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Strawberry Weights and Conversions:

One 16-ounce clamshell container = 3 cups or about 18 whole berries. Therefore, 1 pint (2 cups) = 11 ounces or about 12 whole berries.

Take note: weight to volume ratio changes if berries are halved, quartered, sliced etc. (See below)

Source: California Strawberry Commission

California Strawberry Commission The Ripe Ingredient. Health and Nutrition, Kids Stuff, Research, News and Great Recipes.

Strawberry and Gingercream Shortcake

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
Gingercream (recipe follows)
2 pint baskets California strawberries, stemmed and halved

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour round 8-inch layer cake pan.

In large mixer bowl cream butter. Slowly add sugar, mixing until well blended. Add ginger and eggs, beat well. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with water.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake in center of oven 45 minutes or until pick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.

Turn out onto rack to cool completely. Slice cake horizontally into two layers. Place one layer on serving plate. Spread with one-half of the gingercream; top with 1/4 of the strawberries. Top with second layer. Spoon remaining cream over top; garnish with strawberries. Dust with additional powdered ginger. Cut into wedges. Pass remaining strawberries separately.

To Make Gingercream:

Beat 1-cup whipping cream and 1 teaspoon each sugar and ground ginger to form soft peaks.