Kate's Strawberry Biscuits

Strawberry biscuits take the basic Southern biscuit and fold in fresh strawberries. The trick is treating the berries gently when adding them, you want pieces of fruit visible in the finished biscuit, not pink streaks of crushed strawberry through the dough.

The shortening method is doing real work here. Cut into the flour until you’ve got pea-sized lumps and the whole bowl looks like coarse meal. Those lumps melt in the oven and create steam pockets, which is what gives the biscuits their characteristic flaky layers and tender crumb.

Don’t over-knead. A gentle 30 seconds on the floured board is plenty, just enough to bring the dough together. Knead longer and you’ll develop gluten, the difference between tender biscuits and tough hockey pucks is right there in those few extra strokes.

The chopped pecans are optional but worth adding. They contribute toasty crunch that contrasts beautifully with the soft strawberry pieces and tender biscuit crumb.

Serve hot with cold butter and a glass of milk. They’re best within an hour of baking, the berries release moisture as they cool and soften the biscuits.

Kitchen Tips

• Keep the shortening cold from the fridge before cutting in. Warm fat melts into the flour instead of staying as distinct lumps.
• Pat the strawberries dry on paper towels before chopping. Excess moisture makes for a wet, gummy dough.
• Roll only to ½-inch thick. Thinner biscuits dry out, thicker ones won’t bake through.
• Cut biscuits straight down with a sharp cutter, never twist. Twisting seals the edges and prevents the biscuits from rising properly.

Variations

• Sub fresh blueberries or raspberries for the strawberries.
• Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar before baking for a sweeter, crunchier crust.
• Use buttermilk instead of milk for extra tenderness and tang.