The scrumptious combination of strawberries and cream was originally brought to us from a very surprising source: His Eminence The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Thomas Wolsey, Catholic Bishop and chief advisor to King Henry VIII. One would have thought Wolsey had enough on his plate. But even then, I suppose powerful people had hobbies!

While strawberries and cream on their own are wonderful—adding a crisp, buttery layer of tender shortcake elevates the dish to even higher notes of summer deliciousness.

This particular shortcake recipe is easy and forgiving. The biscuits are light and tender, with a meltingly soft crumb.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortcake

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The farm stands are bursting with fresh strawberries right now; what better way to showcase their delicious sweetness than Strawberry Shortcake? It’s a summertime classic for a reason. This shortcake has a light, tender crumb, perfect for sopping up all the delicious strawberry juices and holding the swirls of whipped cream aloft.

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the shortcake:

• 180 g or 1½ c all-purpose flour
• 67 g or 1/3 c granulated sugar
• 1½  tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 88 g or 3 oz unsalted butter, cold, in ½” cubes
• 270 ml or 9 oz  buttermilk
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 25 g or 1 tbsp raw sugar

 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F Convection or 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Add the cold butter to the flour mix and pulse until the mixture has very small lumps, no bigger than a pea (about 6 pulses). Add the buttermilk and vanilla and pulse until the machine rumbles, and the dough has come together (about 6 pulses). Do not overmix.
4. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured board and gently shape it into a circle about 2″ thick. Cut out as many circles as you can using a 3 or 4″ biscuit cutter, reshaping the dough once or twice. Use a light touch – don’t overhandle the dough. Place the biscuits on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Sprinkle the top of the biscuits with a tablespoon of raw sugar and place in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the biscuits are golden brown.
6. Cool completely before slicing in half and serving with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.

• Author: Helen Kain