Make Strawberry Shortcake

Even if you're not a serious dessert connoisseur, this recipe will make your friends' mouths water just looking at it. A beautiful combination of strawberries and shortcake awaits you -- let's begin!

Ingredients

Scones

  • 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon (pinch) salt
  • 1/3 cup (76 grams) cold unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon (5 g) pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) cream, half and half, or milk

Strawberries

  • 2 pounds (900 grams) fresh strawberries
  • 1/4 cup - 1/3 cup (50 - 65 grams) granulated white sugar (or to taste)

Topping

  • 1 1/2 (375 ml) cups heavy cream, chilled
  • 3 tablespoons (45 g) sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (8 g) vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon (5 g) freshly grated lemon zest

Steps

How to Make Individual Strawberry Shortcakes with Scones

  1. To make the scones, preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C) and place the rack in middle of oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
    • If you don't have parchment paper, cooking spray will do -- but it's less reliable.
  2. Get out a large bowl. With your whisk in hand, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Once combined, move onto the butter. Be sure to use chilled butter, cutting it into small pieces to incorporate it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. When it's ready, it'll have the consistency of coarse crumbs.
    • Make sure the butter is thoroughly mixed in! It may take a few minutes to accomplish this -- be diligent.
  3. Whisk together the egg, cream and vanilla extract. Add all of it to the flour mixture -- when the dough comes together, stop mixing. Do not be tempted to over mix the dough; that will make it lose its pliability and texture.
  4. Transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough gently four or five times to get it going and then work it into a round. About 7" (18 cm) is good. To make your individual shortcakes, cut out rounds with a 3" (7 cm) round cookie cutter. Place them evenly spaced out on the baking sheet.
    • Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream; this will give them a golden, luscious color.
  5. Bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Insert a toothpick in the center of a scone -- if it comes out clean, they're ready. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
    • As the shortbread bakes, keep an eye on it. It can burn quite easily.
  6. Wash, hull, and slice the strawberries. Make pieces of all shapes and sizes -- don't worry about uniformity.
  7. Place 1/3 of the strawberries in a large bowl. Then it's time to go to town, crushing them with a potato masher or fork. Add the remaining sliced strawberries, along with the sugar. Use more or less sugar, depending on how sweet your berries are.
    • Some strawberries are a bit unripe and need more sugar to match the flavor of the scone and cream.
  8. Give the strawberries time to macerate. Leave them alone and at room temperature for about 30 to 60 minutes. This softens the berries and gives them a dessert-like quality. The flavor will come alive at this time, so don't skip this step!
  9. Chill an empty bowl and whisk in the freezer for about 15 - 30 minutes. This will help the cream aerate. Kind of like how a beer is always better in a frosted glass.
  10. Using a mixer, beat the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest until soft peaks form. This should take about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. When the peaks start forming, stop immediately. If you over beat the mixture, it will lose its form.
    • If you don't have vanilla and lemon zest, you can make a topping out of 1 cup (250 ml) cold heavy whipping cream and 1-2 tbsps (15-30 g) white sugar. Orange zest or lime zest can be colorful alternatives to lemon zest as well.
  11. To assemble the strawberry shortcakes, cut the scones in half. Place the bottom half of the scone (soft side up) on the plate. It's time to make it beautiful.
  12. Top with strawberries and whipped cream. Make sure to get both crushed and whole strawberries on all areas, for presentation (even though it'll last about 2 minutes once served!). Place the top half of the scone on top, like the most delicious sandwich ever. Almost there!
  13. Finish with more whipped cream and a few more strawberries. If there is strawberry juice left over, drizzle a little over the top of the whipped cream or make a pattern on the edge of the plate. Place a bit of the strawberry mixture to the sides, too -- everyone likes extra! Serve immediately.



Tips

  • It's best served immediately, so prepare it as close to dining time as possible.

Warnings

  • Don't burn the shortbread! It is easy to do if you don't keep a close eye on it.

Things You'll Need

  • Cookie (biscuit) tray/sheet/tin
  • Baking paper
  • Bowls
  • Spoon
  • Knife
  • Blender
  • Whisk
  • Measuring cup

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Sources and Citations

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