Strawberry Shortcake Sliders

There is just no other way to describe California strawberries…well, basides the fact that they’re deliciously juicy, bursting with flavor, perfectly ripe and ready to enjoy as soon as you see them.

Did you know that 1 cup of strawberries has 160% Vitamin C, which is higher than oranges?! Another added benefit is that strawberries are also low in calories – just 50 per eight-strawberry serving.

During the summer time, there’s nothing more refreshing than strawberries in your drink, salad, parfait, salsa, etc. Here is one of the quick and easy recipes to get the most out of your California strawberries:

Strawberry Shortcake Sliders

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp sugar, divided
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-in pieces
2 1/4 cups heavy cream, divided
6 cups California strawberries, stemmed and divided
1 cup simple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Confectioner’s sugar

Sift flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, baking powder and salt into a bowl. With a fork, cut in butter to fine particles. Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 cups cream. On a floured surface, knead dough lightly to form a ball. Pat into a 1/2-inch-thick circle. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 15 minutes. Heat oven to 400 degrees. With 2-inch cutter, cut dough into 12 circles. Place on baking sheet; bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

In a saucepan, simmer 4 cups strawberries with simple syrup until jam-like consistency; cool. Slice remaining strawberries. Whip 3/4 cup cream with vanilla and 1 Tbsp sugar until soft peak form.

To serve, cut shortcakes in half. Place bottom on plate and top with cooked strawberries, whipped cream and sliced strawberries. Place top on shortcake; dust with confectioner’s sugar.