Strawberry Shortcakes For 2 Americas Test Kitchen Food

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.

CLASSIC STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and work it into the flour, using your fingers or a pastry cutter, until the butter pieces are the size of small peas.
• Whisk together 1/3 cup of the cream with the egg and 1/3 cup water in a small bowl. Add to the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a stiff batter forms. Drop 6 mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each biscuit. Brush with a bit of cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet.
• While the biscuits bake and cool, combine the honey with 1/3 cup water and a pinch of salt in a small saucepot. Gently simmer, stirring, over medium heat until the honey is dissolved and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Cool, and then toss in a medium bowl with the strawberries and mint. If time allows, set aside for at least 30 minutes to allow the strawberries to release their juices.
• To assemble, whip the remaining 1 cup cream with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar to soft peaks in a medium bowl. Split each biscuit and place the bottom half on a plate. Top evenly with the berries and accumulated juices and then the whipped cream. Place the top of the biscuit on the shortcake and garnish with fresh mint.

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.

MINI TOASTED STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Toss the chopped strawberries, vanilla and 4 tablespoons sugar in a bowl. Set aside until syrupy, about 30 minutes.
• Trim off the tops of the whole strawberries. Cut the cake into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then use a 1 1/2-inch-round cookie cutter to cut out 24 rounds.
• Beat the egg white, marshmallow cream, lemon juice, salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with a mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form (the mixture may separate before coming together), about 5 minutes.
• Dip one side of each cake round about halfway into the strawberry syrup and transfer to a baking sheet, syrup-side up. Spoon some of the chopped berries in the center. Top with a dollop of marshmallow cream.
• Swirl the tip of each whole strawberry in the meringue. Press a strawberry, cut-side down, into the marshmallow cream on top of each cake. Toast the meringue with a kitchen torch or broil until golden, rotating as needed. Serve immediately.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES FOR 2 (AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN)

Steps:

• For the shortcakes, use first 8 ingredients: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• In a food processor, mix the flour, 5 teaspoons of sugar, the baking powder, and salt until combined (about 3 pulses) then add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal (about 15 pulses).
• Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Whisk the half-and-half and the whole egg together then mix into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until large clumps form. The recipe indicates that using regular milk is ok but not as rich as the half-and-half and that using heavy cream makes the cakes too dense.
• Turn the mixture onto a floured board and shape the dough into two circles about 2-1/2 inches in diameter and about 1 inch thick.
• Brush the tops with the egg white. Then sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar.
• Place on prepared cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, turning the pan halfway through cooking.
• Cool on wire wrack.
• For the fruit use the next 2 ingredients: Crush 3/4 cup (about 3.75 ounces) of the strawberries with a potato masher in a medium bowl. Slice the remaining strawberries and fold them into the crushed berries, along with the sugar. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
• For the whipped cream use the last 3 ingredients:.
• Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium spead until frothy -- about 1 minute. Then turn to high and whip to soft peaks, 1-3 minutes. Of course, store bought whipped cream will work, too.
• To serve: Slice the shortcake horizontally. Place some of the strawberries on the bottom half, put a dollop or two of whipped cream on the strawberries and top with the other half of the short cake.

BEST STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl, combine egg and half-and-half; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened. , Spread batter into a 6-in. round baking pan coated with cooking spray, slightly building up the edges. Bake at 450° until golden, 13-15 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. , In a small bowl, beat whipping cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Cut cake horizontally in half. Soften remaining butter. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with butter. Top with half of strawberries and cream mixture. Repeat layers of cake, strawberries and cream.