There are great strawberries available in our local grocery stores; we thought it was time to bake up some Classic Shortcake. Sure, we could spread strawberries across some angel food cake or white cake but we like a not-so-sweet version made with shortcake.
Shortcake is made like biscuits–though a little richer and sweeter. Topped with lightly sweetened strawberries and crowned with barely-sweetened whipped cream to which plenty of vanilla has been added, this makes the perfect way to enjoy spring strawberries.
Classic Shortcake Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups pastry or unbleached all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup cold butter cut in pieces
- 2 large eggs whisked with 3 tablespoons of cold milk added
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry knife or two sharp knives. Keep cutting until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
- Add the egg and milk mixture. Stir until the dry ingredients are moistened but not smooth.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly-floured counter and roll or pat the dough to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 3-inch circles or squares and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the tops begin to turn brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Notes for success:
- Like biscuits, working the dough too much will leave the product tough, not melt-in-your-mouth tender.
- We prefer to just sprinkle a little sugar on our strawberries after they are sliced. The juice will dissolve the sugar to form a light syrup.
- For each cup of whipping cream, we add 1 teaspoon of good quality vanilla after the cream is whipped.
(Updated from May 24, 2014)