It’s strawberry season, and yes I mark my calendar with seasonal pickings, because food kind of makes my world go round. Yup, if I made my own clock it would only include the times of day where eating happens.

I love the idea of a tiny little sweet bite after a meal and these berry bites are the perfect little individualized desserts. They are small enough that you could eat one on your own and be more than satisfied, or if you really just need a tiny bite, you could share one with someone you really like. I’m going to emphasize the really like part of that because sharing dessert can get weird or ugly depending on who you do it with. I just hope that if I’m sharing any kind of food item the other person isn’t as hungry as I am.

With Father’s Day quickly approaching, I thought this would be the perfect way to brighten-up dad’s day. My husband and I started a tradition of tiny gifts and big meals  for celebratory occasions like this. Since my husband has a serious sweet tooth and making breakfast together on the weekends is something we do regularly, I thought this little sweet surprise would be the perfect way to say Happy Father’s Day!

 SWEET BERRY BITES

 

INGREDIENTS

FILLING

2 cups fresh strawberries (sliced)

½ cup fresh blueberries

¼ cup white sugar

 

3/4 cup of whipping cream

4 tbsp white sugar (to sweeten cream)

CAKES

2 Cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

8 tbsp cold butter, cubed

1/3 cup white sugar

2/3cup of half & half cream

¼ cup of half & half cream (for cake tops)

2 tbsp coarse sugar (to sprinkle on cake tops)

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Lay parchment paper over a baking sheet.

FILLING

3. Toss strawberries, blueberries and ¼ cup white sugar together in one bowl. Then set aside while prepping the cakes.
4. Using an electric mixer, whip 3/4 cup of whipping cream with 4 tbsp of white sugar. Set aside.

CAKES

5. Using a mixer, combine flour, baking powder, salt. Then add butter to the mixture until coarse crumbs form.
6. Create a small well in the centre of the dough and pour in the 2/3 cup of half & half cream. Using a spoon, fork or spatula, gently mix until the ingredients form a dough.
7. Gently need the dough a few times on a lightly floured surface and then roll it out to approximately 2 centimetres thickness. Using a large, floured, circular cookie cutter cut out approximately eight rounds.
8. Transfer rounds to baking sheet, brush with half and half cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for approximately 12 minutes.
9. When cake rounds are baked through and lightly golden brown, removed from the oven and allow cooling on cooling racks.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

10. Cut cooled rounds in half (as if you are making a sandwich) smooth on a layer of sweetened whipped cream on the bottom of the round, add layer of sugared berries and another dollop of sugared whipped cream over the berries. Finish the cake by adding the top and garnishing with a whole strawberry. Repeat for all of the cakes.

Indulge and Enjoy!