Strawberry Shortcakes With Brown Sugar Biscuits And White Chocolate Cream 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.

CHOCOLATE CHIP STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a small bowl, combine strawberries and sugar; cover and refrigerate until serving., In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine cream and 1/2 cup butter; stir into dry ingredients until a thick batter forms. Gently stir in chocolate chips., Drop by 1/3 cupfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Brush with remaining butter; sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool., Cut biscuits in half horizontally. Spoon fruit onto bottom halves. Top with whipped cream if desired; replace biscuit tops. Serve immediately.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES WITH BROWN SUGAR BISCUITS AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM

Steps:

• For white chocolate cream:
• Place white chocolate in medium bowl. Place 1 tablespoon water in very small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over; let stand until gelatin softens, about 15 minutes. Bring 1/2 cup cream and 3 tablespoons sugar to simmer in small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Pour gelatin mixture over white chocolate, whisking until melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature.
• Beat remaining 2 cups cream in large bowl until peaks form. Fold 1/2 cup cream into white chocolate mixture to lighten. Fold chocolate mixture into remaining cream in bowl. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
• For biscuits:
• Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl; whisk to blend. Add butter. Using fingertips, rub in until coarse meal forms. Gradually add 1 cup cream, tossing until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; shape into 8 1/2-inch round on parchment or foil. Chill 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut dough into eight 3-inch rounds, gathering scraps and reshaping as needed. Place rounds on prepared sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. If desired, rewarm in 350°F oven 5 minutes before using.)
• For strawberries:
• Combine strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, and mint or lavender in medium bowl; toss to blend. Let stand at room temperature until juices form, at least 10 minutes, or refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 hours.
• Cut biscuits in half horizontally. Place 1 bottom on each of 8 plates and mound strawberries with syrup on each, dividing equally. Cover with white chocolate cream and biscuit tops.
• *Also called turbinado or demerara sugar; available at most supermarkets and natural foods stores.
• **Also called culinary lavender buds; available at many health foods stores and from surfasonline.com.

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Combine strawberries and 1/3 cup sugar; refrigerate if desired. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and remaining sugar. Cut in butter and 2/3 cup chips until crumbly. Add half-and-half and stir until just moistened. , Divide dough into 8 patties, about 3/4-in. thick. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush with egg white; sprinkle with coarse sugar and remaining chips. , Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat whipping cream and confectioners' sugar until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate., To assemble, split shortcakes in half. Place cake bottoms on dessert plates. Top with about two-thirds of the strawberries, whipped cream and fudge topping. Replace shortcake tops; top with remaining berries, cream and topping. Garnish with chocolate if desired.