BY DIANA RATTRAY, The Spruce
This old-fashioned strawberry shortcake is a delicious spring or summer dessert to make for a weekend treat or special occasion. Strawberry shortcake is a summer tradition for many families.
This recipe is for individual shortcakes and calls for 3-inch biscuits. You may cut the biscuits with a smaller cutter for smaller portions and more servings.
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What You'll Need
Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 stick butter, chilled
2/3 to 3/4 cup half and half, milk, or cream
2 to 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, optional
Filling
1 quart strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whipping cream for topping, or non-dairy whipped topping
How to Make It
Rinse the strawberries under cold water; drain well. Hull and slice the berries; place in a bowl. Sprinkle with the sugar; cover and let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.
Whip the cream (sweeten with 2 or 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar, if desired) until it holds a soft peak. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Set the rack in the center of the oven.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or buttered foil.
[post_ads]In a food processor or bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Blend well.
Slice the butter into about 8 pieces and add to the mixture. Pulse in the food processor or blend with a pastry cutter or fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal. It should still have a few pea-size chunks of butter left in the mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and make a well in the center. With a fork stir in the cream or milk just until dough is moist. Be very careful not to overwork. The dough doesn't have to hold together well at this point. Let the dough rest in the bowl for a minute.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over on itself (knead) 2 or 3 times, until it is holding together and is less sticky.
Gently pat the dough into a 6 by 12-inch rectangle about 3/4-inch thick and cut into 8 (3-inch) biscuits with a floured round cutter. Or make smaller (2 or 2 1/2-inch) biscuits if you would like a few more servings. For flaky, soft biscuits, work the dough as little as possible.
Arrange the biscuits on prepared baking sheet. Brush the biscuits with some milk or cream and sprinkle tops with some sugar, if desired.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until risen and golden brown.
Remove the biscuits to a platter and split each biscuit horizontally with a serrated knife.
Butter the hot biscuits then top with about 1/3 cup of berry mixture. Replace the tops and top with a tablespoon or so of berries.
Serve the strawberry shortcakes with whipped cream.
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