Strawberry Shortcake

Here is a great start of spring recipe to make. It seems like a lot of steps but really very easy and really satisfying!

Strawberry Shortcake

Fruit
8 cups strawberries, slice into 1/4-1/2" sections
6 tablespoons sugar

Slice berries and mix with sugar. Set aside to macerate for at least 30 min and up to 2 hours.

Shortcakes
2 cups flour
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large egg
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon half&half or whole milk
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Using a food processor or pastry cutter, mix flour, 3 tablespoon of sugar, the baking powder, and salt to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to medium bowl.

Mix the egg with half&half into 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.

Use your fingertips to pat the dough into a rectangle about 3/4" thick, careful not to overwork the dough. Flour a 2 3/4" biscuit cutter and cut out dough rounds, repeat until all dough is used up. Place dough rounds 1" apart on baking sheet, brush the tops with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

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

Whipping Cream
1 cup heavy cream, cold
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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 an continue beating until the cream is smooth, thick & nearly doubled in volume, can be 30 to 60 seconds longer.

Assembly
When the shortcakes have cooled slightly, split them in half with your fingers. Place each cake bottom on a plate. Spoon a portion of the fruit and then a dollop of the whipped cream over each cake bottom. Cap with the cake top and serve immediately. And of course... ENJOY!