It's Strawberry Season in Florida!

Living so close to Plant City, FL, we get to enjoy the freshest strawberries possible in February and March each year. We eat them plain, we pick them fresh as a family fun activity, we make jam and we stop on the side of the road to get strawberry milkshakes and strawberry pizzas from the Berry Barn. One of the local farmers even has a fundraising program for area schools to sell flats of strawberries. We picked up orders today actually!

Strawberries are so popular here, we have an entire 10-day festival centered around strawberries. The Strawberry Festival is filled with rides, games, fair food, some great country music concerts and of course strawberry shortcake.

But strawberries take me back to my early twenties when I spent my college summers catering company picnics and backyard BBQs in Western New York.

The owner made the best sweet shortbread I've ever tasted. Sitting in the hot box truck off to the side of the picnic in the park, after all the guests were served, we couldn't wait to sample Mike’s strawberry shortcake.

I’ve never been able to replicate his, but I’ve come pretty darn close. Every year, the girls and I bake some sweet biscuits after a day of strawberry picking and it takes me back in time.

But what does any of this have to do with Cottonseed Marketplace? I wanted to design a few pieces for a strawberry-themed tiered tray and I knew strawberry shortcake had to be included somehow. That’s what inspired our first mini cutting board for tiered trays.


I designed the artwork using the sweet biscuit recipe and some cute, hand-sketched berry graphics. It is then laser engraved on a piece of solid cherry hardwood and cut into a traditional cutting board shape. We then clean the overburn from both sides. And then finish it off with a hand-tied red and white gingham bow. The mini board coordinates great with our strawberry cutout and these hand-embroidered, fabric strawberries from BlakeByDesign. She only offers these for a short time, so follow her on Instagram for launch dates.

So I’ve told you about how good the sweet biscuits are for strawberry shortcake and I’ve described how we make our strawberry mini cutting board. Now it’s time for the recipe!

Strawberry Shortcake with Sweet Biscuits

Ingredients 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup cold butter
• 1 cup milk
• 2 pints strawberries, chopped
• 1 ½ cups whipped topping

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually stir in milk until a soft dough forms.
Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls into 8 mounds on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 425° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
Meanwhile, place strawberries and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a bowl; toss gently. Split shortcakes in half horizontally. Place bottom halves on serving plates; top with whipped topping and strawberries. Replace shortcake tops.

Tips:

• Put the stick of butter in the freezer for 30 minutes prior to starting.
• Use a small cheese grater to cut in butter.
• Let strawberries sit for 5-10 minutes after mixing with sugar to bring out the juices.

We hope you enjoy this recipe. And the next time you purchase strawberries this early in the year, check to see if they were grown in Florida. Most likely, they were grown down the street from The Cottonseed Marketplace.