Strawberry Shortcake

    Hi guys sorry for me be MIA.  I have been under the weather.  Still not feeling up to it yet, so this post would be short.   Due to Valentine's I had a lot of strawberries left over that I definitely did not want to go to waste.  I had a lot of strawberry ideas, but what hit it for me is when my daughter asked me to buy her the doll Strawberry Shortcake.  So of course, I made this wonderful strawberry shortcake.

      My daughters, thought I made a biscuit and just stuff strawberries in.  But when they devoured in the shortcake, they said Mommy this is the best shortcake I ever tasted.

      Are you a fan of  strawberry shortcake?

Strawberry Shortcake

Fruit
8 cups strawberries, hulled
6 tbsp. sugar

Shortcake
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
5 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp half-and-half or whole milk
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy cream, cold
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1.  For the Fruit: Place 3 cups of the hulled strawberries in a large bowl and crush with a potato masher.  Slice the remaining 5 cups berries and stir into the crushed berries along with the sugar.  Set the fruit aside to macerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.

2.  For the Shortcakes: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a food processor, pulse the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt to combine,  Scatter the butter pieces over and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1- second pulses.  Transfer to a medium bowl.

3.  Mix the beaten egg with the half-and-half in a measuring cup.  Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture.  Combine with a rubber spatula until large clumps form.  Turn the mixture onto a floured work surface and lightly knead until it comes together.

4.  Use your fingertips to pat the dough into a 9 by 6 inch rectangle about 3/4 inch thick, being careful not to overwork the dough,  Flour a 23/4-inch biscuit cutter and cut out 6 dough rounds.  Place the rounds 1 inch apart on a small baking sheet, brush the tops with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle wit the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.  *Dough can be cover and refrigerated up to 2 hours before baking.

5.  Bake until shortcakes are golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes.  Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and cool the cakes until warm, about 10 minutes.

6.  For the Whipped Cream: Chill electric mixer bowl and beater in freezer for at least 20 minutes.  Add the cream, sugar, and vanilla to the chilled bowl.  Beat at low speed until small bubbles form, about 30 seconds.  Increase the speed to medium and continue beating until the beaters leave a trail, about 30 seconds.  Increase the speed to high and continue beating until the cream is smooth, thick, and nearly doubled in volume, about 20 seconds, for soft peaks or about 30 seconds for stiff peaks.

7.  To Assemble: When the shortcakes, have cooled slightly, split them in half.  Place each cake bottom on an individual serving plat.  Spoon a portion of the fruit and then dollop of the whipped cream over each cake bottom.  Cap with the cake top and serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Baking Illustrated