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Black Pepper Strawberry Shortcakes
The quintessential summer dessert gets as serious upgrade. This Black Pepper Strawberry Shortcake will boggle minds at your next strawberry social. Buttermilk biscuits in place of traditional shortcake and black pepper balsamic syrup adds an unexpected zip.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
Buttermilk Biscuits
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 sticks 1 cup salted butter, grated on a box grater
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk plus more for brushing
- 1 tablespoon honey
Honey Mascarpone
- 4 oz mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp honey
- Mint for garnish
Black Pepper Balsamic Syrup
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 4 tsp black pepper freshly cracked
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Add the butter and toss with the flour. Add the buttermilk and honey, and mix until just combined, adding more buttermilk if needed.
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Roll the dough out into a 1 inch rectangle and cut into 9-12 biscuits. Place the biscuits on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with buttermilk. Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool slightly before filling.
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With an electric beater or in a stand mixer, whip the mascarpone and cream together until stiff peaks form. Fold in the honey.
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Slice biscuits in half, top with a healthy dollop of honey mascarpone and sliced strawberries. Drizzle with 1-2 tbsp of Black Pepper Balsamic Syrup. Garnish with chopped fresh mint. Top with other half of biscuit, as desired.
Black Pepper Balsamic Syrup
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Combine ½ cup each sugar and water in a small saucepan, stir in 4 tsp of freshly cracked black pepper, cover and bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. Strain through several layers of cheesecloth; stir in 1 tsp balsamic vinegar. Chill before use.