Strawberry Shortcake

This is a dessert that I absolutely fell in love with.  Yet, I had never had an American version of this dessert, with the buttery flaky yet cake-like biscuits.  I had made this recipe earlier on in the summer and wanted to recreate it again. A friend and I had planned to go strawberry picking in July but we did not luck out and the season wasn't very good, thus it was cut short.  At least next year we'll know to go berry picking earlier in the summer months.  I still stand behind this recipe but is it best made with fresh berries and the amount of sugar can be adjusted based on the sweetness of your berries.  This strawberry shortcake was deliciously light yet satisfying and the biscuit was the perfect vehicle to soak up all of that strawberry juice. Enjoy!

Warm biscuits fresh from the oven

Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients

Topping
3 pints fresh strawberries, hulled; 1 pint crushed with a potato masher or fork, 2 pints quartered
6 tablespoons granulated sugar

Shortcakes
2 cups bleached all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface and biscuit cutter
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoons baking powder
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar for sprinkling
1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons), frozen
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon half-and-half
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix crushed and quartered berries with sugar in a medium bowl; set aside while preparing biscuits (or up to 2 hours).

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position; heat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and 3 tablespoons sugar in the medium bowl.  Using large holes of box grater, grate butter into dry ingredients.  Toss butter with flour to coat.  Use pastry cutter to finish cutting butter into flour.  Or scoop up coated butter with both hands, then quickly rub butter into dry ingredients with finter tips until most of the butter pieces are size of split peas.

Mix beaten egg with half-and-half; pour into flour mixture.  Toss with fork until large clumps form.  Turn mixture onto floured work surface and lightly knead until it comes together.

Pat dough into 9-by 6-inch rectangle, 3/4 inch thick.  Flour 2 3/4 -inch biscuit cutter; cut 6 dough rounds.  Place 1 inch apart on small baking sheet; brush dough tops with egg white and sprinkle with remaining sugar.  (Can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 hours before baking.)  Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes.  Place baking sheet on wire rack; cool cakes until warm, about 10 minutes.

Chill nonreactive, deep, 1- to 1 1/2 quart bowl and beaters for a hand held mixer in freezer for at least 20 minutes.  Add cream, sugar, and vanilla to chilled bowl; beat on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds.  Increase speed to medium; continue beating until beaters leave a trail, about 30 seconds more.  Increase speed to high; continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume, about 20 seconds for soft peaks or about 30 seconds for stiff peaks.  If necessary, finish beating my hand to adjust consistency.  (Can be transferred to fine sieve or strainer set over measuring cup and refrigerated up to 8 hours).

Split eat cake crosswise; spoon a portion of berries and then a dollop of whipped cream over each cake bottom.  Cap with cake top; serve immediately.

Source: Cooks Illustrated