A delightful summer staple that I'd just as easily eat for breakfast as I would for dessert.
While strawberries are the quintessential pairing for shortcakes, this recipe for shortcake biscuits could be used for with any number of summer fruits. I personally want to try it out with some grilled peaches next. Shortcakes are quick and easy to make and also freeze well, so you could even make a batch to keep in the freezer for whenever you have a dessert craving and some fresh berries on hand. The key to success with this recipe, similar to scones, is to use cold cut or grated butter. A trick I often use is grating the butter first thing and sticking it in the freezer for a few minutes before I incorporate it.
Strawberry Shortcakes
Makes approximately 8 shortcakes
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (optional)
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup salted butter, finely cubed or grated and chilled
2/3 cup (240ml) cold buttermilk
1.5 tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream or additional buttermilk
1 tablespoon additional butter
coarse sugar, for sprinkling
strawberries and whipped cream (see notes for recommendations)
Key Supplies: mixing bowl, baking sheet, pastry brush, and a biscuit cutter (or other approximately 3-inch cutting device--an empty can or straight glass could work)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together flour, sugar, ground flaxseed, baking powder, and salt (all the dry ingredients).
Add in the cold grated or cubed butter, and use your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the texture resembles a loose crumble.
Add in the buttermilk and mix just until it becomes a combined dough with no dry spots--don’t overwork it!
Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and with lightly floured hands or a rolling pin, roll/flatten the dough out to about a ½ inch thickness.
Using a 3 inch biscuit cutter or something similar, cut an even number of shortcakes. You can clump together edge scraps and reroll to cut more out of the extra dough.
Place half of the cut rounds onto a greased or silicone matted baking sheet, in a grid with the edges touching, not spaced apart. This helps them stay upright as they rise during baking.
Melt the additional tablespoon of butter in the microwave, and brush it on top of the biscuits on the baking sheet. Place the other half of the shortcake rounds on top of the buttered ones.
Brush the tops of the shortcake stacks with buttermilk, and sprinkle on a little sugar. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until light golden brown.
Cool for about 10 minutes before splitting open to assemble.
Notes:
Shortcakes can be stored at room temperature for a few days in a tightly sealed container. But as with almost all baked goods, unless eating immediately or within 24 hours, I recommend freezing them once cooled, and then defrosting when needed and toasting/reheating to get it as close to fresh out of the oven as possible.
For my shortcakes, I like making a honey basil strawberry filler. To do so, just slice up a box of strawberries, add about 2 tablespoons of honey and some chopped up fresh basil. I do this before making the shortcake biscuits and let them sit while I bake so that the flavors have time to meld together.
I'm a huge proponent of homemade whipped cream as well. To make that, just whip together some heavy whipping cream (about 1 - 1.5 cups should be enough for this recipe) with an electric mixer until it stiffens and forms soft peaks, adding in a few tablespoons of sugar and a splash of vanilla to taste toward the end. Make sure the heavy whipping cream is coming straight out of the fridge and very cold when you beat it--this helps it to stiffen.
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