Nothing says summer like strawberries and nothing says easy summer dessert like Strawberry Shortcake. We recommend macerating the strawberries (cutting off the tops, cutting them in half, and putting them in a bowl with some sugar and allowing to sit for an hour or more - this helps bring out the sweetness and juice in the strawberries) and then add either whipped cream or lemon curd for a delicious summer treat. This recipe serves six.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 egg, beaten (the easiest way to accomplish this is to beat an egg in a seperate bowl and then use approximately half of it)
little bit of milk (for brushing top of shortcakes)
little bit of sugar (for sprinkling on top of shortcakes)
strawberries, whipped cream, lemon curd, other topping
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350degrees F (175degrees C)
2. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cream of tartar into a bowl. Cut in the butter with either a pastry cutter, two knives, or your hands (you do not want the butter creamed - just cut it so that there are small pieces of it throughout the dough as this will make the shortcake flaky).
3. Mix in cream and egg and stir until well combined.
4. Remove dough from bowl onto a smooth, floured surface and knead for several minutes.
5. Press dough down to 1/2 inch height and cut out shortcakes. We prefer to use large round fluted cookie cutters for a classic shortcake shape.
6. Place shortcakes on baking sheet, brush top lightly with milk and add a sprinkling of sugar. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden.
7. After the shortcakes have cooled, split them in half and add strawberries, whipped cream, lemon curd, or other favorite toppings.
Posts
