| http://tomsaaristo.com |
| Copyright Thomas Saaristo All Rights Reserved |
| Strawberry Shortcake |
The classic American summer dessert. Homemade shortcake is far and away
superior to the sponge-like cakes found in the supermarket. The secret to a tender
biscuit is to add an egg and just enough rich milk to bind the dough together.
If you prefer to make the shortcake dough in the food processor, pulse the dry
ingredients to combine them, then add cold butter that has been cut into half-inch
pieces and continue to pulse until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal flecked
with pea-sized bits of butter. Pour the mixture into a bowl; stir in the egg and half &
half with a rubber spatula until the mixture comes together. Continue with step 4 of
the recipe instructions.
Ingredients
For the topping :
3 pints strawberries, hulled; 1 pint crushed with potato masher or fork, 2 pints
quartered 6 tablespoons sugar
For the shortcakes :
2 cups all-purpose bleached flour, plus more for work surface and biscuit cutter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
1 stick [8 tablespoons] unsalted butter, frozen
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon half & half
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Method
Mix crushed and quartered berries with sugar in medium bowl; set aside while
preparing biscuits [or up to 2 hours].
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position; heat oven to 425°.
Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and 3 tablespoons sugar in 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 fingertips until
most of 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 x 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.
Split each cake crosswise; spoon a portion of berries and then a dollop of whipped
cream over each cake bottom. Cap with cake top; serve immediately.
superior to the sponge-like cakes found in the supermarket. The secret to a tender
biscuit is to add an egg and just enough rich milk to bind the dough together.
If you prefer to make the shortcake dough in the food processor, pulse the dry
ingredients to combine them, then add cold butter that has been cut into half-inch
pieces and continue to pulse until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal flecked
with pea-sized bits of butter. Pour the mixture into a bowl; stir in the egg and half &
half with a rubber spatula until the mixture comes together. Continue with step 4 of
the recipe instructions.
Ingredients
For the topping :
3 pints strawberries, hulled; 1 pint crushed with potato masher or fork, 2 pints
quartered 6 tablespoons sugar
For the shortcakes :
2 cups all-purpose bleached flour, plus more for work surface and biscuit cutter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
1 stick [8 tablespoons] unsalted butter, frozen
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon half & half
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Method
Mix crushed and quartered berries with sugar in medium bowl; set aside while
preparing biscuits [or up to 2 hours].
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position; heat oven to 425°.
Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and 3 tablespoons sugar in 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 fingertips until
most of 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 x 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.
Split each cake crosswise; spoon a portion of berries and then a dollop of whipped
cream over each cake bottom. Cap with cake top; serve immediately.
