Strawberry Shortcakes

By beltranm

These classic sweets aren't fancy; they're just plain good and full of memories.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds (about 6 cups) fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for dusting
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• Whipped Cream

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make the sweetened strawberries: Hull and quarter strawberries; toss in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup sugar. Let stand until syrupy, tossing occasionally, at least 20 minutes (and up to 1 day, covered and refrigerated).
2. In a food processor, combine flour, butter, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt; process until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk; pulse just until moistened, 4 or 5 times. Do not overprocess.
3. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; with floured hands, gently pat dough into a 4-by-8-inch rectangle.
4. Dust a large knife with flour; cut dough into 8 squares. Transfer to a baking sheet; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes; cool on baking sheet. To serve, split biscuits with a serrated knife; layer with berries and Whipped Cream.

For whipped cream:

1. In a deep mixing bowl, beat 1 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form.
2. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar over cream; beat until soft peaks return. Do not overbeat. Makes about 2 cups.


Cook's Note

Make sure the cream is very cold; if you have time, chill the whisk (or beaters) and bowl in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This will help