Giant Strawberry Shortcake Food

THE BEST CLASSIC STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• For the shortcakes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Whisk the heavy cream, sour cream and vanilla in a small bowl; refrigerate until ready to use. Pulse the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter; pulse until the mixture looks like fine meal. Pour in the chilled heavy cream mixture and pulse until just combined.
• Lightly flour a work surface and dump the dough onto it. Pat out the dough 1/2-inch thick. Cut out as many biscuits as you can with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Then pat the remaining dough out to 1/2-inch thick again. Cut more biscuits; you should get 12.
• Put 6 of the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops generously with cream, then top each cream-brushed biscuit with one of the remaining biscuit rounds. (This makes it easier to split once they are baked.) Brush the top of each biscuit stack with more heavy cream and sprinkle 1 teaspoon granulated sugar on each biscuit.
• Bake the biscuits until golden and puffed, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
• Meanwhile, for the topping: Toss the strawberries and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar in a medium bowl.
• Just before serving, beat the heavy cream, sour cream, the remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Split the shortcakes in half. Spoon half the cream on the bottom of the biscuits, top evenly with the strawberries and top with the remaining cream. Put each biscuit top on and serve.

LIGHT STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• For the shortcakes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. =
• Combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture with your fingers until it resembles coarse meal.
• Whisk together the lemon zest, egg and 1/2 cup of the buttermilk in a small bowl. Add to the flour mixture and lightly mix with your hands or a spoon until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. With lightly floured hands, gently pat the dough into a 7­inch round about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 8 equal wedges. Space the shortcakes evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk and sprinkle with the almonds. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
• For the filling: Combine the strawberries, granulated sugar and orange zest and juice in a large bowl. Let stand until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is syrupy, about 15 minutes.
• Split the shortcakes. Place the bottom halves of the shortcakes on plates and top evenly with the strawberry mixture and yogurt. Cover with the shortcake tops. Dust with the confectioners' sugar if using.

GIANT STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Blend flour, 3 tbsp of the sugar, salt, baking powder, and, butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.
• Add the cream and milk, and mix to form a soft dough.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll to a 1/2 inch thickness.
• Form dough into 7 inch diameter circle.
• Place round on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12-20 minutes, until cake springs back.
• Remove shortcake and place on wire rack to cool.
• Place the strawberries in a large bowl with the rest of the sugar and let sit for up to 2 hours until a juicy syrup forms in the bowl.
• Slice the shortcake in half horizontally, and place the bottom half on a plate.
• Spread a generous portion of whipped cream on the bottom half, and then spoon some strawberries and juice on top of that.
• Place the other half on top of the strawberries and spread more whipped cream and strawberries on top.
• Sprinkle chocolate chips on top (if desired).

STRAWBERRY & VANILLA SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and lightly flour a baking sheet. Put the flour, butter, sugar, half of the vanilla seeds and ¼ tsp salt into the bowl of a food processor, then pulse until fine. Tip into a large bowl. Beat the milk, egg and a good squeeze of lemon together, then tip into the bowl and bring together with a knife, using a cutting action, until you have a clumpy dough. Finally bring together with your hands if you need to.
• Lightly flour the work surface, tip the dough onto it, then quickly shape into a smooth-ish disc. Using a rolling pin, pat out to 2cm thick. Cut out 8 rounds with a smooth 7cm cutter (you'll need to pinch together the trimmings). Glaze just the tops with beaten egg, transfer to the floured sheet, then bake for 10-12 mins until risen and golden, and they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack.
• Beat the remaining vanilla seeds and icing sugar into the clotted cream. It will get runnier at first, but keep beating and it will thicken again. To serve, slice the very top from each shortcake to give a flat surface, then spoon over about 1 tsp jam. Top with a good dollop of the vanilla clotted cream and finish with the strawberries.