Vegan Strawberry Shortcake

After buying a large quantity of strawberries (which I suspect are genetically modified) from a gourmet supermarket in East Williamsburg (Keyfood), strawberry shortcakes were on my to-do list for this weekend. The recipe appealed to me because most of the ingredients were on-hand, besides the cream of tartar (purchased at the even more gourmet C-Town after a Supermarket Sweep-esque search). The end result was delicious, mostly because of the perfect shortcake biscuits, reminiscent of Seattle’s Globe Cafe’s famous vegan biscuits {circa 1999}. The shortcakes and the whip call for almost half a tub of Earth Balance and a good amount of confectionery sugar; the treat is by no means healthy… a decadent distraction from the ton of anxiety accursed upon this weekend as I embark upon my first paid teaching gig.

ingredients:
4 cups strawberries, sliced
2 Tbsp. organic sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
4 Tbsp. Earth Balance
1/2 cup soy milk wixed with 3/4 Tbsp. lemon juice (let stand 5 minutes)
vegan whipped cream (see recipe below)

preheat oven to 450.
Grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
Stir sugar and strawberries in a bowl and set aside.
In large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and baking powder. Cut in Earth Balance until mixture is like cookie crumbs. Make a well.Pour in soy milk/lemon juice mixture, stir until moistened and plop four mounds onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
Making the vegan whip cream:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup soy milk
1-1/4 cup confectionery sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In saucepan, combine flour and soy milk, stir constantly over medium-low heat until very thick. Remove from heat and let cool. {This concoction was kinda strange, gray and glue-like.}Beat the confectionery sugar and Earth Balance until smooth. Then incorporate the glue mixture, mixing in 2 Tbsp. at a time until smooth. The “whip” was not very whippy and we couldn’t smooth out all the thick lumps. The consistancy improved greatly after refrigeration though.Cut the shortcakes in half and layer with sugared strawberries and whip. Eat and moan in pleasure.