Strawberry Shortcake with Cream Biscuits

Strawberry Shortcake with Cream Biscuits

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons sugar (optional)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Filling:
• 4 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 cup sugar
• Topping:
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
• Powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

To make biscuits, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar (if using) and baking powder. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingertips. The pieces should be the size of small peas. Measure cream; set aside 1 tablespoon. Add the remaining cream to the flour, and stir with a fork until the mixture just comes together.

Lightly knead the dough a few times in the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured board, and roll out about 3/4 inch thick. Cut six 2 1/2-inch circles or squares out of the dough. Reroll the scraps, you should be able to get 2 or 3 more biscuits out of it.

Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment, and brush the tops with the tablespoon of cream. Bake for 17 minutes or until lightly golden.

For filling, in a medium bowl, combine the strawberries and sugar. Remove 1 cup of the strawberry mixture, and purée it in a blender or food processor. Return the purée to the rest of the strawberries; stir. Set aside at least 15 minutes.

In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, whip together the cream, vanilla and sugar until it starts to form soft peaks.

To assemble, gently break the biscuits in half. Spoon the strawberry mixture onto the bottom half, and add a dollop of whipped cream. Top with the other biscuit half, and dust with powdered sugar.