Grilled Strawberry Shortcake Kebabs

 

I’m not one to reinvent the wheel for the sake of it. So I promise you that this dessert is more than just a skewered novelty (although it is super fun to make and eat!). But beyond the stick, I guarantee this dessert is special.

You see, when you submit strawberries to high heat, they char and soften into soft, jammy stickiness. Then you offer buttery, flaky biscuits some golden grill marks and the kiss of a smoky flame.  Add a rosy (no-cook) strawberry sauce for juicy freshness, then top it all off with a cloud of vanilla whipped cream.

I don’t think strawberry shortcake (or summer, in general) could get any better.

These lovely, local strawberries are available at Walmart Supercentres across Canada (and you can get all the other ingredients there, too!).

Walmart Canada has kindly sponsored this post to share the news of their fresh, local produce. When in season, Walmart aims to carry all available local produce – isn’t that great?

I wanted the grilled strawberries to have some sweetness, so I rolled them in sugar after rinsing, while they were still wet. The sugar encourages them to caramelize and coaxes out the lovely grill marks, too.

You can see I left some stems on – I just think they’re so beautiful left intact, and I love the pop of green. It’s so pretty to look at that nobody will mind pausing to pick off the leaves.

I love the combination of syrupy, cooked berries and fresh puree. It hits all the spots.

I was so excited when it dawned on me that maybe I could make biscuits without an oven on a scorching summer day. They don’t rise quite as high, but it works beautifully!

I kept one area of the grill for direct heat cooking (flame lit beneath) and another area of indirect heat (no flame lit). I started the biscuits over direct heat to get the golden crust, then moved them to the indirect heat area and closed the lid. This basically turns the grill into an oven.

You don’t need to skewer the biscuits necessarily, you can put them right on the grates.  But the berries do need the extra support.  And I like the visual impact of both being kebab-ed.

Offer this shortcake at your next barbecue and the compliments will roll in as people lick their bowls. Then you can direct people right here for the genius behind the recipe… 🙂

Lots of fresh recipe ideas on the Walmart website (Crispy Fennel Cakes with Smoked Salmon? Watermelon Limonade? YUM!) – check them out!

And thank you, dear readers, for supporting the generous, thoughtfully-chosen sponsors who keep the Foodess kitchen running!

Grilled Strawberry Shortcake Kebabs

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 6
Dessert
Canadian

Ingredients
  

For strawberry sauce and whipped cream

  • ¾ lb strawberries
  • ½ cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar divided use
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

For biscuits

  • 2 cups 9 oz all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ cup 4 oz cold unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup whole milk

For grilled strawberries

  • ¾ lb strawberries
  • â…“ cup granulated sugar

Instructions
 

  • To make sauce, puree ¾ lb strawberries with 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tbsp water in blender until very smooth. Refrigerate this strawberry puree until ready to use.
  • Beat whipping cream with remaining 2 tbsp sugar with electric beater until soft peaks form. Beat in vanilla extract.
  • For biscuits, whisk flour with baking powder and salt.  Use a box grater to grate butter directly over the flour mixture.  Use a fork and a light touch to gently mix the butter into the dry ingredients.  Add the milk, and stir with a fork until mixture forms a shaggy dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and press it together into a disk shape.  Very gently knead it 3-4 times by folding it over on itself until it comes together cohesively. Roll out to 3/4" thickness, then use a 2" round cutter (or an overturned shot glass) to make circles.  Gently roll it out again to make more. Thread biscuits onto skewers (2 each) and transfer onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  • Remove stems from most of the strawberries (I like to leave a few for colour) and cut any large ones in half.  Spread the 1/3 cup sugar in a shallow baking dish.  Rinse berries, and while they're still wet, dump them into the sugar and toss with a spoon to coat.  Thread onto skewers (3-4 berries per skewer).
  • Light one half of grill and set to medium heat; preheat about 10 minutes.  Place the biscuit skewers over direct heat and close lid.  Cook for about 2 minutes, until grill marks form, then flip and repeat on other side.  Transfer to the unlit side of the grill, close the lid and "bake" until golden and puffed (about 8 minutes more).  Remove to a serving plate, then increase the heat to high.  Grill skewered strawberries over direct high heat until slightly softened and charred in spots, 2-3 minutes total. (Don't over-cook or they'll lose their shape and fall off the skewers.)  Transfer to serving plate.
  • Serve biscuits with strawberry sauce, whipped cream and strawberry skewers. May be served right off the grill or at room temperature.  Enjoy!

Notes

If using bamboo skewers, soak them for at least 2 hours before grilling. I soak a bunch then stash in the freezer for future use.

Last Updated on June 23, 2016 by Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD

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