Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Macerated Strawberries
- 500 g fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 5 ml lemon juice
Shortcake Biscuits
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 12 g baking powder
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 85 g unsalted butter, very cold, cubed
- 160 ml whole milk, cold
- 10 g coarse sugar
Whipped Cream
- 240 ml heavy whipping cream, very cold
- 15 g powdered sugar
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a medium bowl, combine sliced strawberries, 50g sugar, and lemon juice. Toss to coat and let sit at room temperature to release their juices.
Preheat your oven to 220°C/425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 30g sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry blender or your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.
Pour in the cold milk. Stir gently with a fork or spatula just until a shaggy dough forms and the dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat (do not roll) into a rectangle about 2cm thick. Use a biscuit cutter to punch out rounds. Place on the prepared baking sheet, touching slightly. Sprinkle tops with coarse sugar if desired.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits have risen significantly.
While biscuits bake, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a clean bowl. Whip until soft-to-medium peaks form.
Remove biscuits from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. They should be warm but not hot when serving.
Slice the warm biscuits in half horizontally. Spoon the macerated strawberries and their syrup over the bottom halves. Top generously with whipped cream and the biscuit caps. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Temperature is key for the biscuits: ensure your butter and milk are fridge-cold to create steam pockets for a flaky rise.
- If your strawberries are not very sweet or juicy, you can mash a few of them with a fork to help create more syrup.
- For an extra rich version, brush the tops of the unbaked biscuits with a little heavy cream before sprinkling with sugar.
- This recipe uses the American 'biscuit' style base, which is more savory and substantial than sponge cake, providing a perfect texture contrast to the soft fruit and cream.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Store components separately. Assembled shortcakes will become soggy within hours.
Freezer: 1 month — Baked biscuits can be frozen. Reheat in oven before serving.
