Strawberry Shortcake

In honor of the 4th of July, I thought I would share this recipe. It makes enough for 8-10 people, so serve it to a crowd. It's a huge favorite in our house... especially if the kids get to put on their own whipped cream!

Fruit:

8 cups (2 ½ lbs.) strawberries

6 Tbs. sugar

 

Shortcakes:

2 cups flour

5 Tbs. sugar

1 Tbs. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

8 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large egg, lightly beaten

½ cup plus 1 Tbs. half-and-half or whole milk

1 large egg white, lightly beaten

 

2 cups Whipped Cream

 

1. For the fruit: slice strawberries and toss with sugar. Set fruit aside to macerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
2. For the shortcakes: Adjust the oven rack to the lover-middle position and heat to 425 degrees. In the food processor, pulse the flour, 3 Tbs. sugar, baking powder and salt to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about fifteen 1-second pulses. Transfer to medium bowl.
3. Mix the beaten egg with the half-and-half in a 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.
4. Use your fingertips to pat the dough into a 9 by 6-inch rectangle about ¾ inch thick, being careful not to overwork the dough. Flour a 2 3/4 –inch biscuit cutter and cut out rounds. Pull together left over pieces and cut out a few more rounds. Place the rounds 1 inch apart on a small baking sheet, brush the tops with the beaten egg white, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbs. sugar. (Dough rounds can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 hours before baking.)
5. 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.
6. To assemble: When the shortcakes have cooled slightly, split them in half. Place each cake bottom on an individual serving 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.