Strawberry Shortcake
From Theme: Being Neighborly Showers: The Red Wagon Progressive Dinner
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
Shortcake Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 6 tablespoons cold butter
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Strawberry Filling
- Sugar for sprinkling
- 4 cups (1 quart) whole strawberries
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- 8 sprigs mint (optional)
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a mixing bowl.
Cut butter into small pieces and add to dry ingredients. Mix butter into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or with your fingers. This mixture should be a bit lumpy so biscuits turn out flaky.
Add buttermilk and mix with a wooden spoon to form the dough.
Roll dough on a floured board to 1″ thickness. Cut dough into circles with a 2″ to 3″ round cookie cutter or a drinking glass. Before baking, brush the biscuits with some of the cream and sprinkle them with sugar. Place rounds on an ungreased baking sheet and bake 12 minutes.
When the biscuits are cool, split them horizontally and set aside.
Hull and slice the strawberries and toss them in a bowl with 1 cup of the sugar. Gently mash some of the berries with your hands. Set aside.
In a bowl, whip remaining cream (2 cups), ½ cup sugar, and vanilla to soft peaks, using an electric mixer or a whisk.
Assemble the shortcakes by placing one biscuit bottom on each plate. Top each biscuit bottom with a serving of strawberries. Put a dollop of whipped cream on top of the strawberries, and then top with the other biscuit half.
Garnish with a dusting of powdered sugar and a mint sprig.
