Instructions
FOR THE STRAWBERRY SORBET:
Puree the strawberries in a blender and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. You should have about 4 cups. Add the honey, powdered sugar, and salt. Freeze in an ice-cream machine, then transfer to a container and place in the freezer.

FOR THE BISCUITS:
Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add the butter and rub the butter and flour through your fingertips until they are completely combined and the butter is in small beads. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in 1/2 cup buttermilk and the milk. Use a dough scraper to incorporate the milk and flour, pulling the flour from the edges toward the center. If the dough seems too dry, add a little more buttermilk. The finished dough should feel damp, but not wet, and be a "shaggy mess", not a solid mass.

Turn the dough out onto parchment and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 500. Stack two baking sheets (for more even heat distribution) and place a piece of parchment paper on top.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out 1/2 inch thick. Dip a 2-inch biscuit cutter in flour and cut out rounds. Place the rounds 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool.

FOR THE CREME FRAICHE SAUCE:
Combine the creme fraiche and sugar in a small saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the creme fraiche, add the pod, and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the sauce from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer. Keep the sauce warm, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sweeten the chopped strawberries with sugar to taste.

TO COMPLETE:
Rewarm the creme fraiche sauce over low heat.

Cut the biscuits into neat rounds with a 1.5-inch biscuit cutter and split them in half. Dut the tops with powdered sugar.

Put a spoonful of sauce on each plate. Top with the bottoms of the biscuits. Spoon the chopped berries over the biscuits and cover each with a quenelle, or a small scoop, of sorbet. Set the tops of the biscuits on the sorbet and serve.

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Yields: 8 Servings
     French Laundry Cookbook, Thomas Keller, page 274

notes:  HOW TO MAKE A ONE-SPOON QUENELLE:
Quenelles are typically made with two spoons, but the edgeless oval created by drawing a spoon through something smooth like ice cream or mousse is a more elegant shape. To make a one-spoon quenelle, you need a cup of very hot water, a spoon (whose bowl will determine the size of the quenelle), and whatever your're "quenelling". Dip the spoon in the water so it's hot. Hold the spoon with the rounded bottom up, place the far edge of the spoon into the mixture, with the near edge close to the surface but not touching, and drag the spoon toward you. The mixture you're scraping should curl with the shape of the spoon. As you drag, twist your wrist up until the quenelle folds over itself into an egg shape. For the best shape, drag only once through the mixture; dip and clean your spoon for each new quenelle. It takes some practice (pictured on page 295).

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