Strawberries are also an item of nostalgia for me. My Grandma Voght lived only a half a mile from the home I grew up in. Every single day I would see her and my Grandpa out in their garden picking strawberries and asparagus to sell at their roadside stand. They could hardly keep up with demand so I often helped my grandparents picking, weeding, cleaning, and the most imperative of them all – taste testing. Because I was well trained and quickly became respectable at my job as taste tester, I believe that I have become somewhat of a strawberry snob. I just don’t think I will ever taste a strawberry that was as good as my Grandma’s.

It is true that strawberries are almost perfect right off the plant, but my Grandma Betty’s strawberry shortcakes are a certain contender. My Grandma is the shortcake queen. She could whip those perfect little pillows of sweetness up in no time. Light, slightly sweet, buttery, and absolutely delicious every single time.
Fortunately for me, I have that treasured recipe and I want to share it with you all today. I am pairing it with my own strawberry sauce and some ice cream flavor options that would just top it off.

Grandma Betty’s Biscuits
Makes 20 biscuits.

12 Wt Oz Bread Flour
12 Wt Oz All-Purpose Flour
2 Wt Oz Sugar
1 ½ oz Baking Powder
2 Pinches Salt
8 Wt Oz Butter, Cold
4 Fl Oz Eggs
12 Fl Oz Buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350F. Combine dry ingredients and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Combine the eggs and buttermilk. Store in the refrigerator until needed. Cut the butter into small chunks and store in the refrigerator until needed. When the dry ingredients are chilled, use your KitchenAid mixer (the modern day way!) to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Mix until you get pea sized pieces of butter. Add the eggs and buttermilk all at once. Mix just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix! Lightly flour your counter space and roll the biscuits to about 1” thick. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake until golden.

Fresh Strawberry Sauce
Makes 20 Fl Oz

12 Wt Oz Strawberries
7-10 Wt Oz Sugar (Depending on how sweet your strawberries are)
9 Fl Oz Water
1 T Lemon Juice
¾ Wt Oz Cornstarch
2 Fl Oz Orange Liqueur

Chop 12 strawberries into quarters. Put to the side. Combine the sugar, remaining strawberries, 8 fl oz of the water, and the lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow the mixture to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree. Return to the heat and bring back to a boil. Meanwhile, make a slurry with the cornstarch and the remaining 1 fl oz of water. Gradually whisk the slurry into the sauce and bring back to a boil, whisking until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Whisk in the orange liqueur. Cool the sauce over an ice bath. Just before serving, mix in the reserved chopped strawberries. Makes 20 fl oz.

Serve bountifully on top of Grandma Betty’s biscuits and serve with vanilla, pistachio, or cinnamon ice cream from brics!

From my kitchen to yours,
LeAnn

I truly don’t care if I’m in the sunny Carolinas or the glacial Rocky Mountains, I want ice cream. I want new flavors, new experiences, new memories, and even new friendships with those I have ice cream in common with. If I have good ice cream in your town, it’s guaranteed that I’ve told people to pack up, go, and go as soon as they can. Of course, it doesn’t hurt if there is a beach nearby.

This past month I visited Columbus, Ohio for an ice cream convention (Yes, yes it was heaven.) and I was told by many here in Indy and in Ohio that I absolutely had to visit Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. Been there? If not, pack up, go, and go as soon as you can. Now!! There’s no beach nearby but this is an ice cream parlor that I would visit if it was subzero outside. I’m not the only senseless one out there. When I visited on a very chilly January Saturday (and let’s be honest, also Sunday) afternoon, the place was so full of fanatics needing to get their fix.

So what is so amazing, wonderful, incredible, remarkable, and every other synonym for astounding about Jeni’s? So brilliant that I even bought a couple of pints, packed them on dry ice, and brought them back to Indiana for my husband (yeah, sure.)? So remarkable that they started in a tiny work space and are now reaching out onto the national market? Let’s start with the quality. For one, Jeni uses milk and cream from grass fed cows. No ice cream bases or powders touch any of her products. They are all created from the ground up creating the creamiest and richest taste. Secondly, Jeni’s mix-ins consists of seasonal fresh fruits, herbs, spices, handmade sauces, and home baked goodies. Flavors include but definitely aren’t limited to Whisky & Pecans, Wildberry Lavender, Brown Butter Almond Brittle, and Goat Cheese with Cognac Fig. The girl has it going on. Please meet the genius, Jeni.

Not only is the ice cream delicious, but the place is adorable. I mean, put it in my pocket kind of adorable with a huge chalkboard used as the menu, handmade streamers all over the ceilings, tiny chairs for tots, and colors that would make a grumpy man turn that frown upside down. I think brics and Jeni’s needs to go on a date.
With that being said, please visit http://www.jenisicecreams.com/ or find her on the Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/JenisIceCreams and for goodness sake, check her out next time you’re in Columbus, OH!

Safe Travels,

LeAnn

As fun as these past months have been for us, winter is soon to pass. It’s hard to imagine that brics is already going into their third summer season with May 28, 2012 marking its 2nd birthday! The past 2+ years has been an enjoyable (and amusing at times!) whirlwind of triumph, defeat, and learning the whole way through. Mark our words that this coming year will be no different!

We have a few changes developing for the spring that we are so eager to show everyone once the warm weather hits. Unfortunately, we can’t play the 20 Question game and no hints can be given, but keep your eyes peeled for new products, exciting events, and changes to the store!