Recipe: Shortcakes With Orange-Infused Strawberries and Whipped Cream

As we strive to reduce our risk for heart disease — and our waistlines — we often forego some of our most beloved foods, like dessert. While this is a good strategy to follow much of the time, you don’t have to exclude desserts entirely from your life. In fact, rich, decadent desserts can fit into a heart-healthy eating plan, especially when you use a little culinary know-how and portion control.

This recipe demonstrates how simple ingredient substitutions can result in mouthwatering masterpieces that will fool even the biggest healthy dessert skeptics.

To cut the total fat and saturated fat in this dessert even further, try using regular — not light — Smart Balance® trans-free tub spread in place of butter. You’ll drop the total fat to 6 grams per serving and saturated fat to 2 grams.

Ingredients

For the biscuits

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons Splenda Blend® sugar substitute, plus extra for sprinkling on unbaked biscuits
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into half-inch cubes (or Smart Balance spread)
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel

For the berries and cream

• 3 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup Splenda Blend sugar substitute
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1 cup low-fat frozen whipped topping

Directions

Make the shortcakes

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Blend flours, 2 tablespoons sugar substitute, baking powder, and salt in food processor for five seconds. Add butter. Pulse or process until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Add 1 cup low-fat yogurt and orange peel. Process just until moist clumps form. Avoid over-processing into a ball of dough.
4. Dump dough clumps onto a work surface and form into a ball, gently knead five turns. Roll out dough on a floured surface to 3/4-inch thick round. Using 2-inch diameter cutter, cut out three to four rounds. Gather scraps of dough and reroll as needed to make more 2-inch rounds. Arrange rounds on prepared sheet.
5. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons yogurt. Sprinkle tops lightly with sugar substitute.
6. Bake biscuits until pale golden and tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool 12 to 15 minutes.

Make the berries and cream

1. Combine berries, 1/4 cup sugar substitute, mint, and orange peel in medium bowl to blend. Let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours to macerate the berries, stirring occasionally.
2. Cut biscuits horizontally in half. Place biscuit bottom in each bowl. Top each with berries, then whipped topping and biscuit top.

Ingredient health benefits

• Whole-wheat flour: This type of flour contains whole grains, which are full of B vitamins that support your health in many ways, from turning your food into usable energy to keeping your red blood cells in top shape. These grains also have vitamin E to help your skin stay healthy so it can protect you from foreign invaders. Whole grains are even a good source of unsaturated fats and fiber, which help promote heart health. They do this by helping to lower your “bad” (LDL) cholesterol, raise your “good (HDL) cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. And plant-based protein and complex carbs act as powerhouses to fuel your body for longer, keeping your stomach satisfied.
• Plain yogurt: It’s no secret that eating yogurt is a good way to get some bone-strengthening calcium in your diet, but that’s not all it can do for you. Your digestive tract can benefit from the probiotics in this delectable dairy product, which are the “good” gut bacteria you need to stay healthy “down there.” Yogurt is also a meat-free complete protein, so it has all the amino acids your body needs and can’t make. Though we recommend plain yogurt for this recipe, the benefits don’t get any sweeter than that!
• Strawberries: What’s a shortcake without strawberries? These summer berries are packed with plenty of perks, like antioxidants that protect your cells from harmful particles called free radicals. Strawberries are also rich in vitamin C, an essential nutrient for a thriving immune system. They may even lower your cholesterol levels, which your heart will appreciate!

Nutrition information (per serving)

Calories: 240
Total fat: 8 g
Saturated fat: 5 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Sodium: 330 mg
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Dietary fiber: 4 g
Protein: 6 g