Andrea Charroin
Food Goddess

I love Valentine’s Day. No, really I do! It’s not the gifts of a beautiful heart-shaped box filled with my favorite chocolates or a giant bouquet of flowers.

No, what makes this holiday spectacular to me is the simple gift of handmade Valentines from my sons.

One year Dexter wrote about my favorite cooking utensil, which, of course, is the coveted “turkey blood thing.” I concluded that he was thinking of a baster, which oddly enough, I rarely use. I treasure a little hand cut-out heart Felex made with his tiny handwriting with the words, “I luve you” on the front. These are the real treasures of February 14^th.

To celebrate this day with my family I like to make a favorite treat. Right now we can find some pretty amazing strawberries. Yes, strawberries!

February is usually the month of the first arrival of this glorious fruit. I have picked up about five baskets in the past few days. The big, plump berries are coming to us from Fall River and Watsonville, not too much of a haul.

Yesterday the kids were so excited about the first berries of the season. I watched them happily consume a basket while dipping the berries into a bowl of powdered sugar.

I have a plan for the Day of Love. After school the kids and I will make heart-shaped biscuits and pile on the berries and fresh whipped cream. What a welcome treat! The anticipation of spring is lingering in the air and we have beautiful strawberries to celebrate.

Here is my recipe for the biscuits that I use to make Strawberry Shortcake. I think you will find this a simple dessert to make for your family and friends. In the coming months, when we have an abundance of raspberries, peaches, and of course our amazing local blackberries, you will have even more opportunities to make this wonderful treat to share.

Link to printer-friendly recipe

Andrea’s Buttermilk Biscuits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Add the butter; mixing with your fingers , working the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a course meal with some pea-sized pieces of butter still visible.

Make a well in the center of the flour/butter mixture. Add the buttermilk to the well. Working with your hands (yes, this will be messy, but it really is the way to do this), blend the flour/butter mixtures and buttermilk.

Work just until the dough comes together. On your work surface sprinkle a small amount of flour. Place the dough on the floured surface. Dough can be sprinkled with more flour; not too much, though. With your hands, it is handy to flour your hands too. Pat the dough down to a rectangle that should be about ½-inch thick. Cut the biscuits into desired shapes.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or use a silicone mat. Place biscuits on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops of each biscuit with buttermilk, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Cut in half and place a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream. Top with sliced berries.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Note: For fresh whipped cream use heavy cream; pass up the already flavored fresh whipped cream, please. Mix on high, add powdered sugar and vanilla to your personal taste. Use within the hour.[/print]

So share this holiday with your family! Enjoy each other and show your children how to express their love in a simple heartfelt way. Now get baking! You have a shortcake to make!

Andrea Charroin was a trained baker and pastry chef in San Francisco before she, her husband Westley, and their two sons moved to Redding nine years ago. After falling in love with Redding’s downtown, Andrea and Westley opened a little pastry shop, Rene-Joule Patisserie, across from the Cascade Theatre. For the three years Rene-Joule was in business, it was renowned for making everything from scratch, using the best ingredients and keeping with a seasonal menu. To this day, Andrea is still asked about her Marathon Bars, Orange Twists and sourdough bread.