Strawberry Shortcakes By Donna Hay Food

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES BY DONNA HAY

Steps:

• Place the strawberries, sugar, and vanilla in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook over high heat 1 to 2 minutes or until the sugar has melted and the strawberries have softened slightly. Set aside to cool.
• Whisk together the mascarpone, cream, and extra tablespoon of sugar until smooth.
• Place half the biscuits in the base of serving bowls, or on serving plates. Spoon the mascarpone mixture onto the biscuits and top with the strawberry mixture followed by the remaining biscuits.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• For the strawberries: In a medium bowl, mix the strawberries and granulated sugar. Set aside, covered, for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours in order for the sugar and strawberries to a make a sauce. The longer this sits, the juicier the strawberries will become.
• For the shortcakes: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and butter. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the baking powder, salt, granulated sugar and baking soda. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk. Mix with a fork until all of the ingredients are incorporated and the dough begins to shape into a ball. (The dough will be slightly dry.)
• Sprinkle a work surface with flour, coat your palms and rub some on a rolling pin. Turn out the dough onto the work surface. Knead the dough for 1 to 2 minutes, folding it over onto itself each time. Roll the dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Flour a 3-inch biscuit cutter (or the rim of a glass) and cut out the biscuits. Reshape the leftover dough into a ball, roll it out again and cut out more biscuits until there is no dough remaining.
• Put the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet, brush the tops with the heavy cream and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake until the tops are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. While the biscuits are still hot, spread some softened butter on top of each one with a pastry brush and let it melt. Spoon some of the strawberries and their sauce on top of each biscuit and serve.

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.

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.