...tell me the name of your sweet heart

An intense phone battle was in action between Culinistas. I had to get a sugary treat to fuel my fire. I walked into a certain donut hot spot, covered my cellphone mic and whispered a desperate plea to the teller, "straaaawberry froooosted".

Laughing burst in front of me. I was busted and joined in.

As a chef well-known for stuffing veggies down the throat of others, it was a sugar-vore's dilemma for me to admit that I frequented the donut chain. I got my treat but had to quell the insisting comments of the Culinista that the laughing was at her. I immediately made my case. I admitted what I was doing but that i had gotten the donut only because it was late and there was nothing else around. Right?

More laughing.

Apparently, my feeble and unnecessary efforts to deny that I regularly eat sweets was triple funnier than the supposed oxymoron of it that I built in my head. How else would Culinistas stay so sweet? *wink* (By the way, she prefers the Boston Creme.)

I guess I'm over it now.

And while I've never made a strawberry frosted donut, I have made another strawberry crowned goodie. I prefer giving this recipe because it has real fruit and doesn't condone the fast food sugar high. Make it with local strawberries when they hit the stands later this year. Use organic wherever possible. It will make me feel better.

Strawberry shortcake
(Adapted from Bon Apppetit!)
For biscuits
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons chilled whipping cream
1 tablespoon grated orange peel

For berries and cream
3 1-pint baskets local strawberries, hulled, sliced (or diced)
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 cup chilled whipping cream
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Make biscuits:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Blend flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter using 2 knives or food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1 cup cream and orange peel. Mix just until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; gently knead 5 turns. Roll out dough on floured surface to 3/4-inch-thick round. Using 3-inch-diameter cutter, cut out 3 rounds. Gather dough and reroll as needed to make 3 more 3-inch rounds. Arrange rounds on prepared sheet. Brush with 2 tablespoons cream; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake biscuits until pale golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. (Can be made 2 hours ahead.)

Make berries and cream:
Combine berries, 1/2 cup sugar, mint, and orange peel in medium bowl; stir to blend. Let stand at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Combine cream, vanilla, and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in large bowl. Whisk until soft peaks form.

Cut biscuits horizontally in half. Place 1 biscuit bottom in each of 6 bowls. Top each with berries, then sweetened whipped cream and biscuit top.

Relish!