Strawberry Shortcake Muffins with Macerated Berries in a Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

Who doesn't love a classic Strawberry Shortcake for dessert or just about any time of the day? Our recipe takes this classic dish to a whole new level of deliciousness. We always aim to enhance the flavors of the dishes we prepare, and this one is no exception. To achieve this, we've added rich butter and dried strawberries to the muffin batter, making it more flavorful and fruity. The Macerated Berries are glazed with balsamic vinegar, which balances the sweetness and intensifies the flavors. Additionally, we've added mint and basil to the recipe, as they are part of the same family and add brightness to the dish. Overall, this recipe is a perfect blend of flavors, and I doubt I'll ever resort to baking Strawberry Shortcake any other way.

Shortcake Muffin

• ½ Cup butter
• 1/2 Cup sugar
• 1 Eggs
• 2 Teaspoon vanilla
• ½ Teaspoons salt
• 1 ½ Cups flour
• 2 Teaspoon baking powder
• ½ Cup milk of choice - we used half and half
• ¼ Dried strawberry

Macerated Strawberries

• 1 lb Strawberries
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon mint
• 1 Tablespoon basil
• ¼ Teaspoon lemon zest
• Pinch of salt

Preparation - 25 minutes Cook Time - 25 minutes Serving - 8

Shortcake Muffin

1. Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
2. In a separate bowl, measure the flour and add the baking soda, sifting the mixture together to ensure the baking powder is evenly distributed. Set the bowl aside.
3. Using a stand or hand mixer, cream ½ cup of butter.
4. Then, mix the sugar into the creamed butter.
5. Mix the ingredients thoroughly with the egg, vanilla, milk, and salt.
6. Add all of the sifted flour to the wet ingredients. Be careful only to mix until the ingredients are incorporated together. Scrape down the mixing bowl with a spatula, add the dried strawberries, and mix again for a few seconds.
7. With a medium-sized ice cream scooper, place the dough into muffin tins. We used a silicone muffin tray and decided not to line the mold.
8. Bake the muffins for approximately 25 minutes. Keep an eye on them to ensure they do not get overly cooked.

Macerated Strawberries

1. Cut the strawberries into thin slices and place them into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, salt, and balsamic vinegar to the strawberries, then stir everything together to start the macerating process.
2. Chiffanod, both the basil and mint. Stack the leaves on top of each other, then roll them tightly and cut them into thin strips, making them ribbons. Place herbs with the strawberries.
3. Zest a 1/4 teaspoon of lemon with a microplane and incorporate with the strawberries. Thoroughly mix the berries and put them into the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serving suggestion

Cut a muffin in half with the cut side facing up. Spoon the desired amount of macerated strawberries and top with whipped cream or ice cream.