Strawberry ShortcakePrint Recipe

It’s summer time in Chicago. There are leaves on the trees and flowers in abundance, happy screams and shouts can be heard from the parks and the beaches, children are licking their ice creams while long melted drops trickle down their little hands and faces,  fresh lemonade can be bought from stands on the sidewalk and people gather to chat on their stoops – everyone is soaking up the warm sunshine after another bitterly cold Winter.

And us?  well, we are a couple of weeks away from heading back to Australia for a short while – back to Winter again. So I thought I should make the most of the wonderful produce that Summer brings, in this instance, strawberries.

I have a friend from New York who many years ago requested a strawberry shortcake for his birthday lunch. I had no idea what one was and couldn’t get my hands on a recipe (it was pre internet) so I drew inspiration from Strawberry Shortcake herself – the scented doll from the 80’s.  I made a vanilla cake, smothered it in a pale pink buttercream frosting, filled it with strawberries and whipped cream , then I sprinkled strawberries over the top. It looked very pretty and tasted very good but it was certainly no strawberry shortcake.

So Maurice, I know it’s late (by about 15 years) but here is your strawberry shortcake, the real deal. 

This most delightful little treat is a buttery and slightly sweet sugar crusted biscuit filled with whipped cream and strawberries. So very easy to make and perfect for any occasion. Tonight that occasion is a family dinner at home.

1 2/3 cups (224 grams) all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tablespoons (50 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon (20 grams) baking powder
2 hard-boiled egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (84 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2/3 cup (168 grams) plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

1/2 pound (226 grams) strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered
2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream, beaten to soft peaks

 Preheat oven to 350°F.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, egg yolks, and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and zest, if using, and pulse until the flour resembles coarse meal. Add 2/3 cup of cream and pulse until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather together. Knead gently to incorporate and then pat it into a rough circle about 3/4 to 1-inch thick.

Using a cookie cutter, cut as many shapes as you can and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. As gently as possible reshape the dough and cut more shapes. (re-working the dough too much will make it tough – in order to keep the dough as tender as possible many choose to abandon the cookie cutter and cut into 6 rough squares with a very sharp knife, or shape dough in a circle and cut 6 cake-like wedges) Chill for 20 minutes (and up to 2 hours).

Brush the tops of the shortcakes very lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle lightly with the coarse sugar. Bake until risen and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.

While the shortcakes are baking, toss the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice together in a bowl. Macerate for several minutes or a little longer if your berries are on the firm side.

Split the shortcakes in half and place the bottoms on plates, heap strawberries over them and then spoon whipped cream generously over the strawberries. Replace the shortcake tops and serve immediately.

Source:  adapted from Claudia Flemings – The Last Course & James Beards Classic Strawberry Shortcake recipe

Notes: The only trick to perfecting these is to avoid handling the dough too much – this will render the finished product a little on the tough side.

© 2010, Michelle. All rights reserved.