Lemon, thyme, rhubarb, oh my!
Elle and I took a bite, looked at each other and said, “I can’t believe WE made this!”
Strawberry shortcake says summer like a pair of flip-flops and capri pants. That hand-whipped sweet cream is pillowy heaven over the tart strawberries. And the simple shortcake provides an element of stability to the dish.
When I saw this recipe on Baking and Books, I instantly knew that I had to make it. Strawberry and rhubarb are two of my favorite flavor combinations. And the addition of citrus zest and the lemony thyme sounded interesting … I needed to find out how all that worked together.
It.was.awesome. The shortcakes were airy and buttery, even though they had no butter in them. I love the buttermilk in the dough – what a difference it made. And the lemon zest and thyme weren’t so strong that you instantly tasted them. Instead, they were more like another layer of flavor that added to the magic of the dish.
Try these for breakfast with your favorite jam on top!
It was like you could smell the aromatics, but not necessarily get a big bit of them. Perfection.
The rhubarb compote was sweet and soft, too, and the uncooked strawberries stirred in at the end made the textures perfect.
I can’t even bring myself to copy and paste the recipe – just check it out for yourself. The only ingredients I had to buy that I didn’t have on hand were strawberries, rhubarb, self-rising flour, heavy cream and buttermilk.
The Web site is also a good reference because she shows pictures of all the baking steps. That way, you know that the dough is SUPPOSED to look like cottage cheese and no, you didn’t cook that rhubarb too long.
I highly recommend this dish for a Summer Solstice party or Fourth of July. Enjoy, friends!
An open-faced shortcake sandwich
Seasoned to Taste 