It’s strawberry season, and that means classic shortcake — the sweet, easy, cool and creamy dessert that always hits the spot.
You can put a twist on your strawberries and cake this summer, using tender sweet biscuits that can be quickly assembled and baked ahead of time. Homemade whipped cream gives it the extra rich and creamy punch that makes this dessert a standout.
You can prepare 2 pounds of strawberries as you normally would. Sprinkle with sugar and wait 30 minutes until they release a sweet syrup.
Sweet biscuits
3 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for hands and work surface
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (not teaspoons) baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed and refrigerator-cold
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons heavy cream or buttermilk for brushing on top
coarse sugar (such as turbinado or demerara) for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all dry ingredients in large food processor or bowl. Pulse or stir together to mix. Add cubed butter and pulse to process into small coarse meal texture, or use fingers or pastry cutter to rub butter with dry ingredients until butter is in pieces no larger than the size of a small pea. Once butter is incorporated with dry ingredients, form a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the buttermilk. With a fork, carefully mix buttermilk in until a dry, shaggy dough forms. Be careful not to over mix, or biscuits might become tough. Once the dough forms, dump the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and pat into a rectangle about the size of a standard sheet of paper. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the rectangle into 12 squares — three on the short side and four on the long side. Carefully transfer the cut biscuits onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and arrange so that all the biscuits are touching. Brush with buttermilk and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar before baking for 20-25 minutes.