Rural Missouri - May 2022 - 36

by Heather Berry | hberry@ruralmissouri.coop
S
trawberries are one of the fruits many of us seem
to crave all year long, but they're even better when
you can enjoy them straight from the garden. The
ripe crimson berries add a juicy, tart sweetness to
anything from beverages to biscuits.
If you're buying strawberries, be sure to look for fi rm,
unblemished fruit. Ready to eat berries should be dark
red, with no pale white spots.
Give these recipes a try when you fi nd you're overrun
with the luscious jewels. And remember - the best way to
eat them is fresh with whipped cream, just like Grandma
used to serve them.
STRAWBERRY BISCUITS
4 ounces butter, frozen
2 1/2 cups self-rising fl our
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with
parchment paper. Grate the frozen butter using large holes
of a grater. Toss together grated butter, fl our, sugar and
baking powder in a large bowl. Chill 10 minutes.
Make a well in the center of the butter mixture. Add
the heavy whipping cream and stir to combine. Add the
strawberries and stir just until combined. Dough should
be fl aky.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly fl oured surface, and
gently knead 3 to 4 times. Lightly sprinkle fl our over top of
dough. Using a lightly fl oured rolling pin, roll dough into
a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle, about 9 inches by 5 inches.
Starting at the short end, fold dough in half so short ends
meet. Repeat rolling and folding procedure four more
times.
Roll the dough to 1-inch thickness. Cut dough with a
fl oured 2 1/2-inch round and place on prepared baking
sheet, rerolling dough scraps and fl ouring as needed.
Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Brush
warm biscuits with melted butter.
STRAWBERRY OATMEAL BARS
For bars:
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup fl our
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups diced strawberries, divided
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar, divided
For vanilla glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375
degrees. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with parchment
paper so that the paper overhangs two sides like handles.
In a medium bowl, combine the oats, fl our, brown sugar
and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until it forms
clumps and the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Set
aside 1/2 cup of the crumble mixture, then press the rest
into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan.
Scatter 1 cup of the strawberries over the crust. Sprinkle
the cornstarch evenly over the top, then sprinkle on
the lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon of the granulated
sugar. Scatter on the remaining berries, then the remaining
1/2 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs
evenly over the top.
Bake the bars for 35 to 40 minutes, until the fruit is
bubbly and the crumb topping is golden. Place the pan on
a wire rack to cool completely.
For glaze: In a medium bowl, briskly whisk together the
powdered sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth. Feel free to
add more milk, if a thinner consistency is desired. Using
the parchment paper handles lift the bars from the pan.
Drizzle with glaze, slice and serve.
36 RURAL MISSOURI | MAY 2022
Rural Missouri - May 2022

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