Strawberry Shortcake, Revisited

By LRay

The Local Palate, May 2013, Page 41.
Recipe by executive Pastry Chef Tandra Watkins of Ashley's at the Capital Hotel in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Ingredients

• For Shortcake
• 1 1/2 Cups white chocolate (12 ounces)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 8 egg yolks
• 1 cup egg whites
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• For Strawberry Compote
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1 1/4 cups strawberries, diced
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
• For Diplomat Cream
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
• 1/2 cup egg yolks
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 1/2 teaspoons gelatin powder, bloomed in 3 tablespoons water
• 1/4 cup butter, cold and cubed
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

I. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease
and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Set aside.

2. Melt white chocolate over a water bath
on low. Once melted, remove from heat.
Allow to cool.

3. Mix butter in, a little at a time, until it
is completely melted and incorporated
with white chocolate.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks
a bit and then mix into white chocolate.

5.ln a mixing bowl of standing mixer fitted
with a whisk attachment, begin whipping
egg whites, adding sugar a little at a time.
Whisk to soft peaks.

6. Fold cake flour into egg whites, followed
by white chocolate base. Pour batter into
prepared sheet pan and bake for 15-20
minutes, or until cake is cooked through.
Allow to cool before cutting.

7. For compote, mix cornstarch and cold
water together in a small cup. Combine
strawberries and sugar and allow them to
macerate in a small saucepan for 5 minutes.
Cook strawberries on lOW, reducing liquid.
Once most liquid is gone, add Grand Marnier
and cornstarch-water mixture. Cook until
compote has thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
Refrigerate until needed.

8. For diplomat cream, combine milk,
vanilla extract, Yt cup sugar, and vanilla
bean seeds in a pot and bring to a boil.
Whisk together other 114 cup sugar and
egg yolks, then add cornstarch. Temper
eggs with hot milk mixture. Return mixture
to pot and cook until custard is thick
and large bubbles rise up. Take custard
off heat. Whisk in gelatin, then allow it
to cool. Slowly add butter into custard
(use immersion blender to emulsify if
necessary). Strain and refrigerate with
plastic wrap directly on the surface to
prevent a skin from forming.

9. To finish diplomat cream, whisk
heavy cream in a mixing bowl fitted
with whisk attachment. Whisk until firm
peaks form. Fold into cold pastry cream
and keep refrigerated until assembly.

10. When ready to assemble, cut cooled
cake in half. Spread the strawberry compote
on bottom layer, followed by diplomat
cream. Place second cake on top. Pipe or
spread vanilla whipped cream* on top of
cake, if desired.
*Chef Watkins makes her own vanilla
whipped cream with 1)4 cups heavy
cream, Y2 cup powdered sugar, and
one scraped vanilla bean.