This Chinese-American take on the classic strawberry shortcake is the perfect not-too-sweet summer dessert. Fluffy biscuits and lightly sweetened cream pair with juicy, macerated strawberries and lychees.

In this recipe, strawberries meet lychees, my favorite tropical fruit that hits peak season around the same time as strawberries in summer. If you can’t find them fresh, canned lychees work great too. Just make sure to drain them from their syrup before measuring and using. Lychee’s floral sweetness pairs perfectly with ripe berries and a billowy cloud of whipped cream.

Ingredients

For strawberry-lychee filling

350 g strawberries, hulled and quartered 1 pint
190 g pitted lychees 1 cup, fresh or canned both work well
40 g granulated sugar 3 Tbsp

For biscuits

240 g all purpose flour 2 cups
25 g granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling 2 Tbsp
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
113 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed 8 Tbsp
160 mL lowfat kefir or buttermilk 0.67 cup
30 mL lowfat kefir or buttermilk 2 Tbsp, for brushing

For cream

240 mL heavy cream, cold 1 cup
25 g granulated sugar 2 Tbsp

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, lychees, and granulated sugar. Set aside to macerate while preparing the biscuits.
Heat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter and combine into the dry ingredients by rubbing with your fingertips until they form coarse crumbs.
Drizzle in the kefir and gently fold together using a silicone spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Pour the dough onto a floured work surface and use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten it into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and stack them on one another. Press down again to flatten into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut into 8 equal pieces. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, placing the biscuits at least 1 inch apart.
Brush the tops of the dough with additional kefir and sprinkle with a thin layer of additional granulated sugar. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and granulated sugar until soft peaks form.
To assemble the strawberry lychee shortcakes, cut the biscuits in half crosswise. Top biscuits with strawberry lychee mixture (make sure to drizzle on some of the strawberry lychee juice) and a generous dollop of whipped cream. Serve immediately.

  
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Strawberry Lychee Shortcake