Cooking Lesson #282: Strawberry Shortcake (Short Biscuits)

…from the California Kitchen

How you doin’?  During these difficult times we know how important it is to find recipes that are worth your time and effort. That’s why every recipe—like Strawberry Shortcake—has been tried and tested by our culinarians in the California Kitchen.

It’s springtime in California. No further than 40 miles away is Oxnard, California—the Strawberry Capital of the United States. I can get into my car and pick up a flat of just-picked strawberries and be back in my kitchen in just a couple of hours. I can tell you that there is no better tasting fruit than ripe-off-the plant spring strawberries. 
 
Then why would you want to make a strawberry dessert using one of those grocery store yellow, rubbery sponge-y cakes masquerading as a short cake base. It bears very little resemblance to actual shortcake. 
 
“Short” is an English word meaning to make crisp with fat, like butter or lard. While shortcakes these days take on many forms, I prefer the old-fashioned recipe—a crisp and buttery biscuit-like shortcake which is the traditional.
 
The warm lemon-scented drop biscuits featured in this recipe are super tender on the inside (thanks to the heavy cream), and crisp and golden on the outside (thanks to the small pieces of cold butter in the dough). They’re a far cry from the dry, bland shortcakes you might be used to. This is the perfect pairing for super-juicy strawberries and fluffy, barely sweetened whipped cream. Oh YUM!!!
 
The biscuits are best eaten warm, but you can make the dough a day in advance and store in the fridge until ready to bake. You can make whipped cream a day in advance, too. Just briefly re-whisk before assembling. To serve, spoon strawberries over the bottom half of a warm biscuit, top with whipped cream, and finish with the top biscuit half. Then add another layer of cream and berries.
 
Prep time:  25 minutes
Bake time:  15 to 20 minutes
Yield:  8 servings
 
Ingredients
 
For the strawberries
2 pounds strawberries, rinsed, stems removed, and quartered
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Juice of 1 medium lemon (2 to 3 tablespoons) — zest the lemon first, and reserve the zest for the biscuits
 
For the biscuits
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup, plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoon (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1-1/4 cups cold heavy cream
 
For the whipped cream
1-1/2 cups cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
 
Directions
To macerate the strawberries

1. Combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl and toss to combine. Set aside to macerate while you make the biscuits.

To make the biscuits

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and heat an oven to 400⁰ F.
2. Place the lemon zest and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a large bowl. Rub between your fingertips to release the oils until the sugar is aromatic.
3. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir with a fork to combine.
4. Add the butter and use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour mixture until it forms pea-sized pieces.
5. Drizzle in the cream and mix with a fork until combined. The dough will be a bit sticky.
6. Form the dough into 8 large, tall mounds using a large spoon or scoop and space them 2 inches apart on a prepared baking sheet. The taller the mounds of dough, the easier they will be to slice in half.
7. Sprinkle the top of the biscuits with remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.
8. Bake the biscuits until the bottoms are a deep golden color while the tops are lightly brown; about 15 to 20 minutes.

To whip the cream

1. Combine the heavy cream and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed just until stiff peaks form (do not overwhip or you wind up with butter), about 1-1/2 – 2 minutes. (Alternatively, use a large bowl and an electric hand mixer.)

To assemble the shortcakes

1. Split the biscuits in half crosswise. Spoon strawberries over the bottom half and top with a spoonful of whipped cream. Finish with the top biscuit. You can add more strawberries and whipped cream, if desired.

ChefSecret:  Macerated strawberries can be made, covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours before serving. The longer they sit, the more their flavors will concentrate and intensify. They’ll also get softer and release more juices. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the berries onto the biscuits to avoid a soggy shortcake. Macerated strawberries are also delicious spooned over ice cream or stirred into yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day:  “Last night the devil whispered to me, I’m coming for you. I whispered back, Bring a pepperoni pizza.”
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