Rhubarb and Strawberry Shortcake by Samantha Santiago Torres

This is an interpretation of the classic strawberry shortcake, with a twist. The rhubarb gelato gives the dish a tartness that balances really well with the sweet strawberries. This dessert was created for our brunch menu, so I wanted to add an item that complements the rest of the dishes, and for this reason I added the lemon scones.

Yield: 24 servings

Scones

• 1000 g all-purpose flour
• 170 g granulated sugar
• 30 g baking powder
• 224 g unsalted butter
• 20 g lemon zest
• 4 large eggs
• 284 g buttermilk
• Egg yolk, for egg wash

1. Mix the dry ingredients, butter and lemon zest with the paddle until you get a sandy texture.
2. Whisk together the eggs and buttermilk in a separate bowl and add to the dry ingredients until everything comes together (don’t overmix it). Leave in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
3. Roll out to a thickness of 0.8ʺ(2 cm) and cut into 1.18ʺ x 3.15ʺ (3 cm x 8 cm) rectangles. Paint with yolk twice and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake at 350˚F (177˚C)  for 15-20 minutes.

Rhubarb Purée

• 2000 g granulated sugar
• 2000 g water
• 1500 g rhubarb

1. Make a simple syrup with the sugar and water, pour it over the rhubarb and cover the container with plastic wrap. Leave it an hour until it is soft, then strain the rhubarb, reserving the syrup.
2. Blend the rhubarb until pureéd.

Rhubarb Gelato

• 1700 g milk
• 750 g heavy cream
• 500 g granulated sugar
• 150 g milk powder
• 125 g dextrose
• 25 g stabiliser
• 1500 g Rhubarb Purée

1. Heat milk and cream to 104˚F (40˚C), then add all the dry ingredients. Heat it up to 167˚F (75˚C), and then cool it down.
2. Pour it over the Rhubarb Purée and blend.

Strawberry Whipped Ganache

• 2 sheets gelatin
• 1200 g heavy cream, divided
• 400 g Valrhona Strawberry Inspiration
• 120 g trimoline
• 600 g heavy cream

1. Soak the gelatin in cold water.
2. Bring 600 g of the cream to a boil. Pour over the trimoline, gelatin and chocolate and emulsify with a hand blender. Add the rest of the cream and allow to cool in refrigerator overnight.
3. Whip it the next day.

Plating

• Confectioners’ sugar
• Compressed rhubarb with rhubarb syrup
• Compressed strawberries with rhubarb syrup
• Mint leaves

1. Pipe a big portion of Strawberry Whipped Ganache on one side of the plate. Warm up the scones and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Arrange 2 scones crossing each other.
2. Scoop one ball of Rhubarb Gelato and put it across the cream.
3. Cut 3 slices of compressed rhubarb and place it on the top of the whipped ganache. Place 2 slices of compressed strawberries on the Rhubarb Gelato. Put 3 rhubarb curls and a couple of mint leaves across the plate to decorate.

(This recipe appeared in the Summer 2023 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)

About Samantha Santiago Torres

Samantha Santiago Torres is the Executive Pastry Chef of Gage Hospitality Group in Chicago, IL. Her signature style is inspired by a child-like wonder and whimsical style, making her create “cute things” desserts. She gets her new inspiration from the flavors that remind her of her childhood and the places she used to go. She also doesn’t sketch her dessert; she just keeps everything in mind and then brings it to life on the plate.