Reduced-Fat Strawberry Shortcakes

Thumb_sfs_strawberryshortcake-26_276197

(from Bethany’s recipe box)

Serves 6
Let the berries and accumulated juices soak into the shortcakes for a short time.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Reducing the butter in our Reduced-Fat Strawberry Shortcakes recipe left the cake dry. A little skim milk supplied moisture and added just a few calories per shortcake. In traditional shortcake, when the bits of butter melt, steam escapes and puffs the shortcake up and out. We replicated this effect by melting the butter we did use and allowing it to cool before whisking it in with the milk and yogurt. The melted butter clumped into droplets, which in the oven acted like the butter particles in the original recipe.

Real whipped cream accounted for about 200 calories per saving. Replacing some of the heavy cream with Greek yogurt reduced the calories without sacrificing a luscious, airy texture. Traditional recipes have 680 calories, 37 grams of fat, and 23 grams of saturated fat per serving. Our changes brought the numbers down to 420 calories, 16 grams of fat, and 10 grams of saturated fat.

Source: Cook's Country April​/May 2010 (http://www.today.com/id/43817050/ns/today-food/t/make-guilt-free-lemon-squares-strawberry-shortcake/)

Ingredients

  • FOR THE STRAWBERRIES
  • 6 cups strawberries (2 cups hulled plus 4 cups hulled, halved and sliced)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • FOR THE SHORTCAKES
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • FOR THE WHIPPED TOPPING
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt

Directions

  1. Macerate fruit: Crush 2 cups hulled berries in large bowl with potato masher. Stir in 4 cups sliced berries and sugar and let sit at room temperature until sugar has dissolved and berries are juicy, about 30 minutes.

  2. Make dough: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Whisk yogurt, milk and butter in large bowl until smooth. Stir in flour mixture until combined. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, 8 to 10 times.

  3. Form shortcakes: Pat dough into 8-inch circle about 1/2-inch thick. Using 3-inch biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut out shortcakes and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Gently pat dough scraps into 1/2-inch-thick circle and cut out additional shortcakes. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cakes about 10 minutes.

  4. Assemble: With electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Gently fold in yogurt. Halve shortcakes and evenly divide berry mixture among shortcake bottoms. Dollop whipped cream over berries and replace shortcake top. Serve.

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