We published this recipe on the old blog a few years back and thought it would be perfect for a little St. Valentine’s Day brunch-style dessert. It’s adapted from a Canadian Living recipe —a twist on strawberry shortcake, the bannock (a traditional Canadian Indigenous bread) is sweetened with a little bit of vanilla and sugar. Best eaten when the bannock is fresh.
Strawberry Bannock Shortcake
(Adapted from Canadian Living – July/15)
For the Bannock—
2 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup water
vegetable oil for frying
For the Strawberries—
3 – 4 cups of strawberries (hulled and quartered)
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup of whipping cream (with 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp vanilla)
Method—
Mix the strawberries with the sugar and set aside. For the bannock, add all the dry ingredients together and mix well. Create a well and add the milk, vanilla and water. Mix together just until soft and slightly sticky dough forms. Add more flour if necessary, 1 tbsp at a time to reach desired consistency. Gather into a ball and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to about a ¼ inch thick and then cut into round shapes using either a large cookie cutter, lid or cup. Heat up the oil in a cast iron skillet, gently place the dough rounds (3 or 4 at a time) into the oil, turning once until puffed and golden, then turn them over to cook the other side. Bannock is cooked when tip of knife inserted in centres comes clean (about 6 minutes). Remove biscuits with a slotted spoon and place onto paper towels to drain. Let cool.
Whip up the cream, adding the sugar and vanilla at then end. To build, halve each biscuit and alternate whipping cream, strawberries, followed by another bannock biscuit, to desired height. We used 2½ halves. Top with more whipping cream and strawberries. Yum!
