Spicy Strawberry Shortcake? Yes, Please!

Now, if you’re one of those people who must pour the sugar over your strawberries before you can eat them, just skip right over to your dentist’s website and make an appointment for yourself. This strawberry shortcake recipe isn’t sweet, except that strawberries have a natural sweetness. This recipe will make a strawberry shortcake that is both fructose-sweet AND Texas spicy – in other words, the perfect combination!

To fix the strawberries for our spicy Texas strawberry shortcake, simply slice the strawberries and mix them, in a medium bowl, with our Strawberry Habanero Pepper Jelly.

There are all kinds of shortcakes, both store-bought and home-made, but many people don’t remember that the original shortcakes were not sponge cakes at all, but more like crusty biscuits. When I make shortcake, this is the recipe I use:

3 cups all purpose flour
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (half and half works, too)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Put all the dry ingredients, plus the butter, in a large bowl, and cream together. You’ll probably start using a fork and end up using your fingers. Make a hole in the middle of this mixture and pour into it the cream and vanilla. Using that fork, toss it all together. The dough will have a “shaggy” look, and it won’t be as “combined” as regular biscuit dough. Your shortcake dough should not feel “wet” at all. Put the dough on a floured board and knead by hand until you’ve got a fairly loose ball.

With your rolling pin, roll the dough into a square, about an inch thick. Cover with plastic or waxed paper and put it in the refrigerator for about a half hour. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 450.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator, and, using a knife or a biscuit cutter, cut the dough into 9 or 10 squares or rounds, and spread them about 2 inches apart on a large buttered baking sheet.

Bake at 450° F for about 20 minutes (if your biscuits are thinner, you’ll not only have more of them; they will only need 12-15 minutes!) and remove from the oven when browned.

While they’re still hot, slice them in half horizontally and cover with your pepper jelly-saturated strawberries. Top with whipped cream or yogurt, if you’re so inclined, and dig in.

As with all of Texas Pepper Jelly’s recipes, don’t count on any leftovers.

P.S. If you’re short of time, store-bought shortcakes are delicious, too. So are the sponge-cake varieties. Heck, your strawberry/pepper jelly mixture is good all by itself. Or on toast. Or as part of a sandwich. Or in your salad. Your call!