Strawberry shortcakes scream summer. These ones are made with wholemeal spelt flour and flavoured with lemon. You can also include thyme if you're feeling adventurous. Serve with macerated strawberries and whipped cream.
Place the dry ingredients into a large bowl and rub in the butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Finely grate in the lemon zest. I microplane is ideal for this. Add the lemon thyme leaves.
Make a well in the centre and pour in the kefir and cream. Stir with a round bladed knife from the inside to the outside until the ingredients are just combined and starting to form a dough. Bring this together with your hands, handling it as little as possible.
Roll out on a floured surface to about ¾" (2cm) thick, then cut into rounds with a 2 ½" (6cm) cutter. Combine the leftover bits, re-roll and cut again until the dough has all been used.
Place onto a greased baking tray and brush with milk then sprinkle with a little demerara sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until the scones are golden and the bases sound hollow when tapped.
Place onto a cooling rack, but best eaten whilst still warm.
Whilst the scones are baking, place the strawberries in a bowl. Squeeze in a tbsp of lemon juice and add the rose syrup. Stir and leave to macerate.
Whip the cream.
Cut the shortcakes in half and top with the whipped cream and macerated strawberries.
Notes
You can use 2 tsp of baking powder instead of the bicarb and cream of tarter.These shortcakes don't rise as well as ordinary scones due to the bran in the wholemeal flour, but they are still light and delicious.Best eaten on the day they are made. Or can be frozen once cooled.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They're approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.