When Mr. MVP proposed to me on his birthday over ten years ago, my parents stood on the deck of their lake house I spent my summers growing up in and spied on us. The neighbor’s daughter, Callie, stood in the window next door and yelled, “Hey!, Hey!, Heeeyyyy!, Hey!”, while Mr. MVP and I committed our lives to each other. After I said yes my parents popped out with strawberry shortcake and a musical candle commemorating both our engagement and Mr. MVP’s day of birth. It was actually a very sweet moment. I really love strawberry shortcake.
Six Million Photos And None From That Day.
Today Mr. MVP and I haven’t had my Mom’s biscuits and whipped cream in about a year because our diet simply doesn’t allow gluten, dairy and soy, so I was more than a little excited when I got an email from King Arthur that they have a baking mix that makes their biscuits without the gluten. The original recipe calls for butter, milk and eggs, but I contacted King Arthur and asked about substitutions and I was assured that using vegan butter and milk substitutes was not going to change their biscuits one way or another. I put our list together for the supermarket and I’ve had strawberry shortcake on the brain for five days.
To make my modified version of King Arthur’s Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Biscuits you will need:
- 2 cups King Arthur Flour gluten free all purpose baking mix
- 1/2 cup cold Earth Balance soy free buttery spread
- 1/3 cup rice milk
- 2 large eggs
For the Vegan Whipped Cream you will need:
- Thai Kitchen full fat coconut milk – 2 cans
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla
If you are making Strawberry Shortcake then you are obviously going to need:
- Strawberries
The Perfect Strawberries. (Thanks tokesignals.)
You will also need two medium sized bowls, a biscuit cutter or a medium sized glass, parchment paper and a sheet pan. For the whipped cream you will need a medium sized metal bowl and a mixer.
When you get home from the supermarket the very first thing you need to do is put all the cold stuff in the refrigerator, including the coconut milk. In this recipe everything needs to be chilled overnight.
Now, the next day, when you’re ready to bake, you will want to preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Also, take the metal bowl and whisk or beaters from your mixer and place them in the freezer. I had to move stuff around and then close the door really fast, but it was worth the effort, trust me.
I Took A Photo First Of Course.
While your oven is warming up your entire house, take two cups or 8-1/2 ounces of the baking mix and put it in the bowl. Add four ounces or 1/2 cup of freezing cold butter to your baking mix and work it together with your fingers, a fork or a pastry cutter. Leave some small pieces of butter visible. It’s super important not to over mix, but at the same time, don’t be afraid. They are only biscuits after all.
Add The Vegan Butter
Mix The Vegan Butter In.
In a separate bowl whisk together 2-5/8 ounces or 1/3 cup cold rice milk and 2 large eggs.
Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Now, your dough will not feel or look right here, but don’t panic. Remember you are using ingredients that lend a different texture and consistency, so things are going to seem a little weird. Keep moving forward.
This Dough Is Different.
Lightly cover your counter top with baking mix and put your dough on top.
It Will Be Okay.
Place the dough on the counter even though you are panicking. It will be okay, I promise. Turn the dough over four times and then pat it out until it’s about 3/4 of an inch thick.
Cut your biscuits out with a biscuit cutter or an upside down glass and place them on a parchment lined sheet pan. Gather the dough scraps and squish them into a ball and pat them out until they are 3/4 of an inch thick. Repeat the cutting process until you have used all the scraps.
If you’d like your biscuits to brown nicely, brush each one with a little bit of rice milk. I did not brush mine because I knew I was going to be covering them with strawberries. It’s up to you. Place them in the oven for 5 minutes and then turn the pan around and put them back in for about 3 or 4 more minutes and your biscuits should be about finished.
There Is A Bite Out Of One, Don’t Judge Me.
Once your biscuits are finished place them on a cooling rack and take your metal bowl out of the freezer. I used my Kitchen Aid mixer, so the whisk attachment and bowl were stuffed in our tiny freezer. Take your coconut milk, preferably Thai Kitchen brand, and turn the can upside down. Open the can, and like magic, all the milk will be right at the top.Pour the milk into a cup if it’s an ingredient you’ll use later in a smoothie or oats and then you will see the coconut. Scoop the coconut out with a spoon into your bowl. It all comes out, trust me.
Messy, But Worth It.
Now, add a spoonful of powdered sugar and a dash of vanilla.
I realize my measurements are not precise, but with this recipe you have to start somewhere and a spoonful and a dash is as good of a place as any.
Now, turn your mixer on and whip!
Within about one minute the coconut will become light and airy. I used my Kitchen Aid so I had to keep scraping down the sides of the bowl and it took longer, but my coconut reached it’s whipped state after about three minutes.
Keep tasting your whipped cream as you go along and add more sugar and vanilla to suit your needs. You can also add other flavors like almond, cinnamon, and chocolate. Mr. MVP says that coconut whipped cream tastes like cool whip, but has a coconut aftertaste. I thoroughly loved it. It was cold and creamy.
I chopped strawberries and because we are purists at Team VP we didn’t add any sugar. The berries were sweet and delicious.
We piled the strawberries on top of the biscuits and put whipped cream on top, *sigh*, it was almost like getting engaged all over again.
About The Author
Nicole
Member of Team VP, knitter and Mama to Blue and Franks. Life, is bloody good.
