Just a few twists on the classic
Sometimes I serve strawberry shortcake for breakfast.
My guests never complain.
Or, on the day when we pick strawberries, strawberry shortcake might be our entire supper!
The shortcakes are light and flakey and have a lovely buttery flavor. Any leftovers can be heated and served with jam or lemon curd.
I still pick strawberries, but at a local farm and not so much in the wild.
We pick and buy a lot, so we have plenty to make jam and tuck in the freezer.
Our familys tastes have changed over the years.
The shortcakes are light and flakey and have a lovely buttery flavor. Any leftovers can be heated and served with jam or lemon curd.
Whipped cream for each, of course.
Make this when the local berries are sweet and deep red through and through.
Sweeten them just as you would fresh.
A little of this and that
Ive updated Moms recipe with just a few changes.
First, I added orange liquor to the strawberries as they macerate.
3 pints fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp.
half-and-half or light cream
Slice berries, mix with the sugar and orange liquor, and set aside.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and 1/3 cup sugar.
Cut butter into the dry ingredients with pastry blender or forks.
You want to keep the butter chunks cold, so fingers dont work so well here.
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.
Flour a biscuit cutter.
Depending on the size of your cutter, you will get between 8 and 10 shortcakes.
You only want to reroll once.
Sprinkle with remaining sugar, or a fancy sugar such as turbinado if you like.
Bake until golden, 12 to 14 minutes, keep an eye on them.
Remove to a wire rack; cool cakes about 10 minutes.
Whipped cream:
Have everything chilled before you begin.
The confectioners sugar (rather than using superfine or regular sugar) also helps to stabilize.
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1 tbsp.
superfine or 10X confectioners sugar
1 tsp.
Beat until gentle peaks form, and add the vanilla.
Do not over beat, or youll get butter.
you’ve got the option to add more sugar if you like.
Rather than vanilla extract, you could add a little more orange or other liquor (my preference).
For special occasion, pipe the cream onto the dessert with a large star tip.
Note:Fresh cream that is not ultra-pasteurized beats up much faster than ultra-pasteurized.
Be aware of this if you are used to the latter, you dont want to make butter.
