Strawberry Shortcake

There was no question after a trip to the strawberry patch that I would make strawberry shortcake!  I had the recipe on the counter since the day I decided to take the boys to Johnson's Farm Stand on Rt 6 in Hobart, IN.  We got our buckets and started picking.  Here is what we ended up with:

Three GIANT buckets of berries. 

As soon as we got in the door I started washing the first bucket.  I used my salad and berry spinner.  The berry basket is smaller than the salad colander/basket so your berries don't get smashed.  Now if you go picking with kids, there are bound to be a few in there that are over ripe and get smooshed.  I just set them aside to eat immediately and there were no objections. 

Then I hulled the tops out and halved 6 cups of strawberries and let them set in a bowl with 1/4 cup of sugar for 20 minutes.  Turning every now and then.

I took a cup of heavy cream and two tablespoons of sugar and whipped them in my kitchen aid mixer for the whipped cream topping.

I mixed the flour, butter, salt and baking powder in my food processor and then added the milk through the feed tube.  It was very sticky, so I put flour on the counter and on my hands and flattened it out to an 8 x 4 dough log.  The dough is then cut into 8 squares and sprinkled with a tablespoon of sugar.

They cook in a 425 degree oven for 25 minutes.

They came out perfect!

Now you cut them in half and fill with strawberries and fresh whipped cream

Doesn't it look delicious?

Ya, it does have a lot of whipped cream....mmmmmmmm!

This recipe came from my Great Food Fast cookbook by Everyday Food. 

Strawberry Shortcakes

Serves 8

2 1/2 C flour, plus more for dusting

1/3 C cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 C plus 1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 C milk

Sweetened Strawberries (6 cups with 1/4 C sugar)

Whipped Cream

Preheat oven to 425.  In a food processor, combine the flour, butter, 1/3 C sugar, baking powder and salt:  process until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add the milk; pulse just until moistened, 4 or 5 times.  Do not over process.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface:  with floured hands, gently pat the dough into a 4 by 8 inch rectangle.

Dust a large knife with flour:  cut the dough into 8 squares.  Transfer to a baking sheet:  sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon sugar.  Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes; cool on the baking sheet.  To serve:  split the biscuits with a serrated knife, layer with the berries and whipped cream.