Strawberry Shortcakes
These fresh strawberries and cream on a sweet and flaky biscuit are a real summertime treat!
Equipment
- 1 cast iron skillet if you have it.
Ingredients
For the Strawberries and Whipped Cream
- 2 32 oz fresh strawberries 2 large containers to make 6 cups of cut strawberries
- ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar divided
- 1 tsp vanilla extract pure if possible
- 2 cups heavy cream
For the biscuits
- 2¾ cups all purpose flour plus more for dusting
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine sea salt (regular table salt if you don't have sea salt)
- ¾ cup butter (I prefer salted, but unsalted can be used) cold and cubed
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup heavy cream or buttermilk for brushing the tops
- coarse or decorator sugar for sprinkling on the tops
Instructions
Macerate the strawberries
- Before you start making the biscuits I recommend that you get the strawberries macerating by adding ¼ cup of granulated sugar with the quartered strawberries (6 cups) into a bowl. Cover and put in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Make the biscuits
- Preheat your oven to 400°
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl or food processor, if using. Whisk or pulse to combine.
- Add the cold cubed butter to the dry ingredients and cut in with a pastry blender or pulse a few times until you get coarse crumbs.
- If using a food processor, pour the butter and dry ingredient mixture into a large bowl.
- Add the buttermilk onto the crumb mixture and fold everything together with a wooden spoon or large spatula until it starts to come together. Do not overwork it. The dough will be shaggy.
- Pour the dough and crumbles out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently bring it together. If it sticks to your hands, lightly flour them.
- Using a lightly floured rolling pin, or your hands, flatten the dough into a ¾" thick rectangle then fold one side into the center then repeat with the other side (you will have 3 layers). Turn the dough 90° and flatten to ¾" thick again then repeat the folding process, turn 90° and again flatten to ¾" thick rectangle.
- Cut the biscuits into 2.5 to 3" circles (do not twist your cutter).
- Re roll any scraps and cut out until you have 10-12 biscuits
- Arrange the biscuits into a lightly buttered (or oiled) cast iron skillet making sure they touch. If you are not using a cast iron skillet then put the biscuits on a parchment lined baking sheet once again, making sure they are touching as much as possible.
- Lightly brush the tops with either the heavy cream or buttermilk, then sprinkle with the coarse sugar.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until biscuits are a light golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes. If you assemble them too warm, the whipped cream will melt.
Make the Whipped Cream
- Using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of sugar and the vanilla and whip on medium speed until peaks form (soft-medium).
- Slice the cooled biscuits in half horizontally, and layer them with whipped cream and strawberries.
- Serve immediately
Notes
The biscuits can be made ahead and frozen for up to three months. If you want to make them a day or two ahead they can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature until you need them.
The strawberries can also be macerated the day before.
To make these even easier for a crowd. Prepare the strawberries, whipping cream and biscuits as directed and let everyone assemble their own.
If you do not have buttermilk, you can make your own by souring milk. To do this add 2 teaspoons of an acid such as lemon juice or white vinegar to a 1 cup measuring cup, then fill with milk to make 1 cup.