Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake At Its Best Recipes

Steps:

• Combine strawberries with sugar and vanilla; mash slightly. Let stand at least 30 minutes, tossing occasionally., Preheat oven to 400°. For shortcakes, whisk together flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add buttermilk; stir just until combined (do not overmix). Drop batter by 1/3 cupfuls 2 in. apart onto an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with 2 tablespoons heavy cream; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until golden, 18-20 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., For topping, beat heavy whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form. To serve, cut shortcakes in half; top with strawberries and whipped cream.

Steps:

• Place the berries in a colander and quickly rinse them under running cold water. Pour them on a pan or tray lined with several thicknesses of paper towel to drain for 5 minutes. Hull the strawberries with the point of a stainless steel paring knife, then slice them into a bowl. Sprinkle with the sugar and lemon juice, then set aside, covered at room temperature for an hour or two.
• Whip the cream (add a couple of tablespoons of sugar, if you like) until it holds a soft peak, cover and refrigerate.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and set rack in the middle level.
• In a food processor combine the self-rising flour and sugar and pulse to mix. Add the butter, cut into 8 to 10 pieces, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and make a well in the center. With a fork stir in the buttermilk, being careful not to over work the dough. Let the dough stand for a minute or 2 to let the flours absorb the liquid. Flour the work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Fold the dough over on itself 2 or 3 times, until it is smooth and less sticky.
• For a large shortcake, pat the dough into a 9-inch disk on parchment-lined cookie sheet. For individual shortcakes, pat the dough into a 6 by 12-inch rectangle and cut into 8 (3-inch) biscuits with a sharp, floured round cutter. Transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Paint the tops with the buttermilk and sprinkle with the sugar. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until well risen and golden brown. Check the center of the large shortcake with a toothpick to make sure it has baked through. If the pick emerges with dough clinging to it, lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 5 minutes.
• Slide the large shortcake onto a platter immediately after it is baked. Use a sharp, serrated knife to slice through the middle, making two layers. Slide the edge of a cookie sheet between the two layers and lift the top layer off. Butter the bottom layer and pour on all but 1/2 cup of the berries.
• Slide the top back on and pour the remaining berries on the top. Split the small shortcakes in the same way and place the bottoms on individual dessert plates. Butter them and top with about 1/3 cup berry mixture. Replace tops and pour a tablespoon or so on the top. Serve immediately, passing the cream in a bowl for the guests to help themselves.

Steps:

• Mix strawberries and 1 cup sugar in a bowl and allow to stand while you complete remaining steps. Stir occasionally to help juice form.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch round baking pan.
• Combine flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; cut in shortening with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir milk into crumb mixture until just blended; pour into prepared baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes; cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing shortcake.
• Split shortcake into two layers; spread bottom layer with 2 tablespoons softened butter and top with strawberries and juice. Place top layer over strawberries. Serve with whipped cream.

Steps:

• Wash and hull the strawberries; drain.
• Place the berries in a large bowl, and sprinkle with sugar, cover and refrigerate (1 hour preferably).
• Prepare the shortcake.
• Set oven to 375°F.
• Grease 2 large baking sheets.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar (if you prefer your shortcake less sweet, just use 1/2 cup sugar), baking powder and salt.
• With a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the cold butter until particles are the size of small peas.
• Stir in egg, milk and extract (if using); mix ONLY to combine (same method as for making biscuits).
• On a lightly floured surface, gather up 1/2 cup dough per biscuit.
• Pat dough into 8 (4-inch) rounds.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown; cool slightly (can fill with the whipped cream and strawberries when cake is still warm (it is actually the best this way!).
• In a bowl, beat the whipping cream (can use more than the 3 cups of whipping cream if desired, just increase the sugar a little) with 4 tbsp sugar until stiff peaks form.
• To serve, split the baked shortcakes into halves.
• Ladle strawberries in the middle and on top of the shortcake.
• Top with whipped cream.
• Delicious!