1 qt Strawberries
1/3 c Sugar
1 tb Lemon juice
1 1/2 c Heavy cream
Buttermilk Biscuit Dough
-(RECIPE Follows)
2 tb Buttermilk
2 tb Sugar
2 tb Soft butter
MMMMM------------------BUTTERMILK BISCUIT DOUGH-----------------------
1 1/2 c All-purpose flour
1/2 c Cake flour
1/2 ts Salt
2 ts Baking powder
1/2 c Cold unsalted butter
3/4 c Buttermilk or heavy cream
- (or more)
PLACE BERRIES in a colander and quickly rinse under running cold
water. Pour on a 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 into a bowl. Sprinkle with
sugar and lemon juice, then set aside, covered, at room temperature
for an hour or two. Whip the cream (add a couple tablespoons of
sugar, if you like) until it holds a soft peak. Cover and
refrigerate. Preheat the oven to 450F; set rack in middle level.
Prepare biscuit dough. For a large shortcake, pat the dough into a
9-inch disk on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. For individual
shortcakes, pat dough into a 6-by-12- inch rectangle and cut into
eight 3-inch biscuits with a sharp, floured knife. Transfer to a
parchment-lined cookie sheet. Paint tops with buttermilk. Sprinkle
with sugar. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until well risen and golden.
Check the center of the large shortcake with a toothpick to make sure
it is baked through: If the pick emerges with dough still clinging to
it, lower temperature to 350F 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 all but 1/2 cup of the
sweetened berries on. Slide the top back on and pour the remaining
berries over 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 of the berry mixture. Replace tops and pour a
tablespoon or so of the remaining berries over the top. Serve
immediately. Pass the cream in a bowl for the guests to help
themselves.
BUTTERMILK BISCUIT DOUGH: COMBINE THE FLOURS, salt and baking powder
in a mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Rub in the butter by hand or
with a pastry blender until the mixture is mealy. Stir in 3/4 cup of
the buttermilk with a fork and continue stirring gently until the
dough begins to hold together. (If the dough is dry, add more
buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Sprinkle the work surface
generously with flour and scrape the dough onto it. Fold the dough
over on itself two or three times. Use the dough immediately for
shortcakes, following the instructions above. Use this recipe to make
a large shortcake or eight small ones. This same dough is used as the
topping in cobbler recipes.
