Recipe of the Week: Strawberry Shortcake from Biscuit Box

Fresh-baked biscuits. Ginger- and mint-infused macerated strawberries. Vanilla bean chantilly whipped cream. This is strawberry shortcake for the full-on epicurean. This scrumptious recipe from the folks behind the Biscuit Box food truck—operated by local mobile dining company Mobile Mavens—is just begging be savored in the sunshine. And with the first official day of summer finally here, you have every excuse to break out the apron and whip this up.

“This twist on a summertime classic is perfect for entertaining,” Mobile Mavens’ co-creator Danielle Custer says. “You can make and freeze the biscuit dough well ahead of time, and the strawberry mixture tastes best if you let it macerate overnight. This means that day ­of, you will only need to pop the biscuits in the oven, whip up the chantilly cream, and assemble them for guests.”

If you don’t feel particularly inclined to bake, you can find this shortcake, along with other biscuit-related delights, at mobile food camper Biscuit Box located at the Fremont Sunday Market, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and during the week at various Eastside office parks. For a full schedule, see here.

Yield: 8-­10, depending on biscuit size

Strawberry Mixture 
4 cups fresh strawberries 
2 tablespoons fresh ginger 
1 cup sugar 
1 vanilla bean, scraped  
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves( about 1/2 bunch) 
1/8 teaspoon salt  

Remove the stems from the strawberries, slice into quarters, and place in a medium ­size bowl. Peel and finely grate the ginger. Squeeze the pulp to remove its juice. Add grated ginger to the bowl of strawberries. 

Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise with a sharp paring knife. Using the back side of the paring knife’s blade, scrape the seeds from the pod and add to the bowl. Discard the pod. Coarsely chop the fresh mint and add to the bowl. 

Combine sugar and salt with the strawberry mixture, and gently stir. Let the mixture macerate for at least an hour at room temperature, or overnight with a lid in a refrigerator.  

Biscuit Box Buttermilk Biscuits 
4 cups unbleached all­purpose flour 
2 tablespoons baking powder 
2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 
2/3 pounds unsalted butter 
1 ¾ cups buttermilk 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda) in a bowl. Chop the butter into 1 inch pieces. Place the butter pieces in a food processor with the dry mix and pulse until it resembles pea­sized crumbles. 

Transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the buttermilk and gently fold until a tender dough develops, taking care not to over mix. Add more buttermilk if necessary to get a slightly rough, yet delicate dough. Let rest for a couple minutes before rolling. 

Transfer the biscuit dough onto a floured surface and roll it out until it’s about 1 inch thick. Fold dough in half one time, and gently roll again until it reaches 1½ inches thick. 

Using a biscuit cutter that is about 3 inches in diameter, cut the biscuits and place them on a parchment paper­lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 ̊for 20 minutes, or until the tops are very lightly browned. Allow biscuits to cool for 20 minutes before serving. 

Do ahead: Frozen biscuit dough can be cooked directly from the freezer. Recommend rolling and cutting the dough first, and freezing the dough in “oven ready” circles. When it’s time to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and cook for about 30 minutes. Biscuits are ready when the interior reaches 180 degrees, or when a toothpick can be inserted in the middle and come out clean ­­ or with only small crumbs attached to it. 

Chantilly Cream 
2 cups whipping cream 
1/2 cup sugar 
1 vanilla bean, scraped  
1 pinch sea salt

In a medium­size mixing bowl, combine the whipping cream, sugar and salt. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise with a sharp paring knife. Using the back side of the paring knife’s blade, scrape the seeds from the pod and add them to the cream. Discard the pod. Either by hand or by mixer, whip the cream until light and fluffy. Do not over beat.  

Note: Recommend making the chantilly right before serving to ensure ensure maximum fluffiness. Can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 30 minutes. 

Assemble Shortcakes 
Split the biscuits in half, and scoop about 1/2 a cup of the strawberry mixture on to the bottom half of each biscuit. Add a healthy dollop (about 1/3 cup) of chantilly cream on top of the mixture, and finish by placing the other half of each biscuit on top. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately.