Strawberry Shortcakes Deconstructed Food

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Mix strawberries with 3 tablespoons sugar and refrigerate while juices develop, at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add heavy cream and mix until just combined. Place mixture in an ungreased 8-inch square pan and bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Remove shortcake from pan and place on a rack to cool slightly. Cut into 6 pieces and split each piece in half horizontally.
• Spoon some of the strawberries with their juice onto each shortcake bottom. Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and then the shortcake top. Spoon more strawberries over the top and serve.
• Using a mixer, beat the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest until soft peaks form, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

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 SHORTCAKES, DECONSTRUCTED

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Sift the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, the baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream in a measuring cup and, with the mixer still on low, add to the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. The dough will be sticky. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough ½ to 5/8 inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Dip a 2-inch plain round cutter in flour and cut 16 to 18 biscuits. Place on the sheet pan, brush the tops of the biscuits with the egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. Cool on the pan. To serve, toss the strawberries with ¹/³ cup of sugar and the Grand Marnier in a medium bowl. Place the berries in 6 martini glasses, top each with a dollop of whipped cream, and serve with 2 or 3 shortcakes on the side.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE FROM SCRATCH

Steps:

• Place strawberries in a bowl and stir in 1/4 cup sugar. Refrigerate until sugar has dissolved, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into 8 pieces and add to the bowl. Cut into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or 2 knives until finely crumbled. Add milk and stir until dough just comes together.
• Place dough on a lightly floured surface and turn to coat with flour. Fold dough in half, press down, and push forward with the heel of your hand. Turn 90 degrees. Repeat 12 times. Roll dough out to 1/2- to 3/4-inch thickness and cut into 4-inch circles with a ring cutter or cookie cutter. Place shortcakes on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, pour heavy cream into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until it has increased in volume but is still soft. Add confectioners' sugar and mix until combined.
• Top each shortcake with whipped cream and spoon strawberries on top.

OLD FASHIONED STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Mix strawberries and 1 cup sugar in a bowl and allow to stand while you complete remaining steps. Stir occasionally to help juice form.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch round baking pan.
• Combine flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; cut in shortening with a knife or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir milk into crumb mixture until just blended; pour into prepared baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes; cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing shortcake.
• Split shortcake into two layers; spread bottom layer with 2 tablespoons softened butter and top with strawberries and juice. Place top layer over strawberries. Serve with whipped cream.

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.