Strawberry Shortcake seemed to always mark the beginning of summer when I was growing up.
Although we get strawberries almost year round in California, they always taste best in early summer. We always made our “shortcake” with biscuits.
This is a pretty foolproof method. When you stir slightly cooled melted butter into cold buttermilk, the butter will clump.
Although this might look like a mistake, it's one of the secrets to this recipe.
Fresh Strawberry Shortcake with Homemade Biscuits and Whipped Cream
Biscuits:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup buttermilk (cold)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (about 5 minutes)
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees F. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in large bowl. Combine buttermilk and 8 tablespoons melted butter in medium bowl, stirring until butter forms small clumps.
2. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl. Using greased 1/4-cup dry measure (or a #16 ice cream scoop), scoop level amount of batter and drop onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet (biscuits should measure about 2 1/4 inches in diameter and 1 1/4 inches high). Repeat with remaining batter, spacing biscuits about 1 1/2 inches apart. Sprinkles tops with granulated or turbinado sugar. Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, 12 to 14 minutes.
Strawberries:
3 pints fresh strawberries, hulled; 1 pint crushed with potato masher or fork, 2 pints quartered
1/2 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1. Mix crushed and quartered berries with sugar in medium bowl; set aside while preparing biscuits (or up to 2 hours).
Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy cream, chilled (preferably pasteurized or pasteurized organic)
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Chill nonreactive, deep, 1- to 1 1/2-quart bowl and beaters for a handheld mixer in freezer for at least 20 minutes. Add cream, sugar, and vanilla to chilled bowl; beat on low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium; continue beating until beaters leave a trail, about 30 seconds more. Increase speed to high; continue beating until cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume, about 20 seconds for soft peaks or about 30 seconds for stiff peaks. If necessary, finish beating by hand to adjust consistency. (Can be transferred to fine sieve or strainer set over measuring cup and refrigerated up to 8 hours).
2. Split each cake crosswise; spoon a portion of berries and juice and then a dollop of whipped cream over each cake bottom. Cap with cake top; serve immediately.
James Moore has been a cooking enthusiast since childhood and started blogging as a way to share favorite recipes with friends and family. His site, Cook Like James has grown to include restaurants, cookbooks, wines, and favorite places.