Nothing could be a more typical, totally American, dessert than Strawberry Shortcake. Plus what could taste better during your local strawberry season?
- 5 cups fresh strawberries*
- 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar**
- 3 cups whipping cream, chilled
- Sugar to taste
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine, chilled
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 1/4 cups milk
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Prepare and bake Shortcake.
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Wash and hull strawberries. Remove the green caps (stems) with a light twisting motion or with the point of a paring knife. It is as easy as a twist of the wrist. You can also purchase a strawberry de-stemmer/huller at your local kitchen store or online. Either leave the strawberries whole or sliced.
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Perfect Strawberry Slicing Tip: Use your egg slicer. Stem the strawberries first, then slice just like you would a boiled egg. (Much quicker than using a knife.)
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In a large bowl, place strawberries and sprinkle with sugar; cover and refrigerate. Note: As strawberries tastes best at room temperature, remove from the refrigerator approximately 1 hour before they are to be used.
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In a medium bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form; fold in sugar.
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To serve, split baked shortcakes into halves. Ladle strawberries onto top of shortcake and top with a dollop of whipped cream.
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Tips: Shortbread is best served when warm. Shortcake can be reheated. The berries will be juicier if you crush a few before sugaring and let them sit for an hour before using.
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Makes 8 servings.
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease two large baking sheets.
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In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter or margarine until particles are the size of small peas; stir in egg and milk.
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On a lightly floured surface, using 1/2 cup dough per biscuit, pat dough into eight (4-inch rounds).
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Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.
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* When purchasing berries from the grocery store, shop with your nose. Always pick the plumpest and most fragrant berries. They should be firm, bright, and fresh looking with no mold or bruises, and fresh green caps (stems). Berries should be dry and clean; usually medium to small berries have better eating quality than large ones. Strawberries do not ripen after they have been harvested, so choose strawberries that have been picked fully ripened.
** Use sugar to taste. Sometimes the ripe strawberries are so sweet that you do not even need to add sugar - taste before adding.