Strawberry Thyme Shortcakes

BY AMON AND JENNA MULLER
June 18, 2026

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Photography by MOLLY DECOUDREAUX

An herbal and savory biscuit puts a spin on the traditionally sweet shortcake

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FULL BELLY FARM & KITCHEN: RECIPES AND STORIES FROM A FAMILY FARM

REVIEW BY ARIANNA LITRENTA
RECIPES BY AMON AND JENNA MULLER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MOLLY DECOUDREAUX

For our spring Cookbook Club, we’re diving into the folds of Full Belly Farm & Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from a Family Farm, featuring an exclusive from authors and Full Belly Farm owners Amon and Jenna Muller. Their debut cookbook offers an intimate look at life on a working farm and the central role of seasonality on and off the page. We’re honoring that approach with three strawberry recipes that celebrate the season’s beloved fruit and Full Belly’s produce-driven spirit.

» Read the full feature here

We often don’t have good luck with our strawberries. One year, the deer ate nearly all of the plants in the fall. Another year, we put straw all around the plants, which brought in bugs and made the berries hard to find. This past year, a raccoon started eating the berries long before they turned red! Nonetheless, we continue to plant them because we need something to tide us over between citrus season and stone fruit season. They may not be the biggest moneymaker for the farm, but they sure do brighten our springtime days, and it is always fun to go out and hunt for ripe strawberries with the kids.

Strawberry shortcake is a springtime classic, and it’s something the kids always ask to make the minute we have a critical mass of strawberries. For this recipe, I use a biscuit instead of a true shortcake. I find that the sweetness of the berries and whipped cream is quite enough, and I prefer a more savory biscuit instead of yet another layer of sweetness. I add thyme to the dough, and no sugar. Strawberries and thyme are a surprising and winning flavor combination. This biscuit also goes well with savory dishes and soups. Jenna

Recipes and images excerpted with permission from Full Belly Farm & Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from a Family Farm by Amon and Jenna Muller (Hardie Grant Publishing, March 2026).
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* *This article contains links that are not provided, maintained by, or in any way affiliated with Edible San Diego.

FROM THE PAGES

This recipe originally appeared as part of the Spring 2026 Cookbook Club in issue 82.

*Queen of Hearts”* painting by Isabel Oliver.

Ingredients

MAKES 9 LARGE OR 12 SMALL SHORTCAKES, DEPENDING ON HOW YOU CUT YOUR BISCUITS

BISCUITS
3 tablespoons cornmeal
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small chunks and chilled (freeze for best results)
1 cup milk or buttermilk
STRAWBERRIES
4 cups sliced (1⁄4 inch thick) hulled strawberries
1⁄2 cup sugar
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered or granulated sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make Strawberry Thyme Shortcakes

Make the biscuits: Preheat the oven to 450°. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or butter it lightly. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cornmeal over the sheet.
In a food processor or medium bowl, combine the flour, thyme, salt, and baking soda. Add the butter chunks and pulse in the food processor, or cut them in with a pastry cutter or fork, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the milk and gently fold with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape it into a square about 1 inch thick. Using a knife or bench scraper, cut the dough in half and stack one half on top of the other. Press gently into another square and repeat this process three to four times to create flaky layers that will easily pull apart when baked.
Transfer the dough to the prepared sheet pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon cornmeal over the top and cut into roughly 2-inch squares. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set the pan on a cooling rack and let cool completely before assembling.
Macerate the strawberries: In a bowl, toss together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then refrigerate to macerate until ready to use.
Make the whipped cream: In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, whip the heavy cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and whip to your desired consistency (we like the softest of peaks). Keep refrigerated until serving.
Once the biscuits have cooled, gently pull them apart at the center (the layers should make this easy). Place a layer of macerated strawberries on the bottom half of each biscuit. Add a generous dollop of whipped cream, then top with the other biscuit half. Serve immediately and enjoy!