Healthy Oatmeal Strawberry Shortcake
(makes 9, prep time 15-20 minutes, 15-20 minutes bake time)
This is a quick, no mess, as few dishes to wash as possible recipe because you want this for breakfast right now!
Shortcakes
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup oat flour (or any other whole grain flour of your choosing. You can also just use 2 cups of all purpose flour but you’re trying to achieve a breakfast worthy whole grain experience so try it out)
2 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons cold or frozen grated salted butter* (butter substitutes** or coconut oil, lard can be also used 1:1)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar (sugar substitutes can also be used 1:1)
1 cup (plus more) milk
(whole milk, buttermilk, greek yogurt mixed with milk 1:1 or with whipping cream 1:1 or almond, soy or rice milk, even coconut milk! Because absorption rates vary between whole grain flours and types of liquid you may need to add more to achieve a cohesive dough so keep your liquid handy to add a tablespoon at a time)
*If using unsalted butter add 1/ 2 teaspoon sea salt.
**Other shortening substitutes are not as stable as dairy fat butter. They are almost impossible to grate. If using other shortening types, add to the dry mix whole and then using your fingers, rub into the dry mix until mixture is crumbly.
Preheat oven to 400F. My oven runs low so I set it to 425. Set rack to middle position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl add the flours, baking powder and sugar. Whisk or stir to combine thoroughly. I start with a whole stick of cold butter so it’s easier to hold while grating (one stick equals 8 tablespoons so you’ll be grating half of it). Set the cheese grater in the middle of your bowl and grate the butter directly into the flour mixture. Set aside the remaining half of butter. Scrape out any butter still left inside the grater into your bowl.
Stir in grated butter until it’s coated with dry mixture. Pour in milk liquid. Stir to combine until you have a cohesive dough. If all the dry isn’t stirred in then add more liquid a tablespoon at a time until you have a cohesive sticky dough.
Using a large spoon, scoop 1/2 cup spoonfuls of dough onto your prepared sheet. Dough should yield 9 scoops. (see photos for reference)
Sprinkle a little sugar on top of each dough mound.
Set on middle rack of preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes and check for doneness. Depending on how accurate your oven is 15 minutes may be done if cakes are firm to the touch and nicely browned on top. If not then keep in oven an additional 3 minutes.
While these are baking, make the granola…
Muesli Granola
2 tbsp melted butter
1/ 2 cup raw muesli ( I used original recipe, unsweetened Alpen cereal - it is amazing! It's full of a variety of whole grains, slivered almonds and a few raisins. )
1 tablespoon oat flour (whole wheat, all purpose or whole grain flour of your choice)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
In a small microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add muesli, flour and sugar. Stir to combine thoroughly so that all the grain is evenly coated. Spread out on a small sheet or pie plate. Add to the bottom rack of the oven below your baking shortcakes.
Remove after 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
During the remaining bake time of the shortcakes, prepare the berries….
Strawberries
1 pint fresh berries (use any berries in season here)
2 -3 teaspoons honey (agave, maple or specialty syrups: Dillon’s Distillers and Kvas make delicious syrups with Niagara ingredients)
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar (I really like the tang that this provides. You could also use lemon or lime juice)
Gently rinse berries. Cut off stem and cut berries in half or if larger into thirds or quarters. Drizzle honey or syrup over berries. Add vinegar or citrus juice. Stir to ensure even coating or sweetener and acid. Set aside so berries can begin to release their own juices.
Cream filling
*Options: You can just use plain yogurt here or go half and half on the whipped cream. If you’re feeling like a super treat go full whipped cream otherwise, yogurt is obviously the healthier choice.
1/2 cup chilled whipping cream (whipped cream will increase in volume exponentially!)
1 cup yogurt or more (your choice)
1 generous splash of vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
Add cream and vanilla to bowl (option: add a 1 tablespoon of white sugar here ) Whip the cream in a deep, medium bowl until firm peaks form. Add yogurt. Stir to combine thoroughly.
By this time your cakes should be ready to remove from the oven and the granola will have cooled enough to scrape up with a spoon into crumbly pieces.
Assembly
Break open a cake into a cereal bowl. Dollop cream, then spoon berries, add more cream and more berries, sprinkle granola on top and add the cap of your cake.
Voila.
Strawberry shortcake breakfast bowl.
