Strawberry Shortcake
- Serves 8
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour
To prevent the baked biscuits from crumbling when you cut them, wait until they are cool, and use a serrated bread knife to slice them in half very gently.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 pounds (6 cups) strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered
- 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°, with rack on lowest level. In a medium bowl, toss strawberries with 3/4 cup sugar; let sit to bring out their juices.
- In a food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, 1/2 cup sugar, and the salt until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal but with some pea-size bits of butter remaining, 10 to 12 times. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup cream and the eggs; pour over flour mixture, and pulse until some large clumps begin to form, 25 to 30 times.
- Using a half-cup measuring cup, gently pack dough, invert, and then tap out onto a baking sheet. Repeat to form 8 biscuits. Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes.
- Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream and 2 tablespoons sugar with the vanilla until soft peaks form.
- Slice biscuits in half horizontally. Spoon strawberries and their liquid over bottom halves. Spoon whipped cream on strawberries, and replace top halves of biscuits.
Note: When forming the biscuits, dip the measuring cup in flour to keep the dough from sticking to the cup. Repeat for each biscuit.
Source: Everyday Food - Issue 3, May/June 2003, Page 30.