Strawberry Vanilla 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.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• For the Vanilla Cream:
• Pour the milk and heavy cream into a heavy bottomed saucepot and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pot (or add vanilla extract). *Cook's Note: If using a vanilla bean, put the vanilla pod in the pot as well. Add half the sugar and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolks and the rest of the sugar. Temper it by adding a small amount of the heated milk mixture to the bowl, whisking constantly. Pour the egg mixture into the pot of milk, stirring constantly. Do not boil or cook the egg mixture, otherwise you will have scrambled eggs! The mixture should begin to thicken so that coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Remove vanilla pod and discard, and refrigerate until chilled.
• For the Sponge Cake:
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and lay parchment paper over the bottom of a jelly roll size baking pan (17 1/2 inches by 11 1/2 inches by 1-inch deep). With an electric beater, beat together the egg yolks, just 1/4 cup of the sugar (reserving the rest), and vanilla until the mixture becomes a pale yellow and thickens. Sift cake flour over the egg yolk mixture and set aside briefly. Wash and dry the beaters.
• In a separate metal bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together and gradually beat in the balance of the sugar until stiff peaks form. To the egg yolk/flour bowl, fold in 1/3 of the beaten egg whites until just barely combined. Repeat two more times with each of the remaining 2/3 of the beaten egg whites.
• Spread into jelly roll pan and bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until the surface is golden brown and springs back when touched. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes and loosen the edges with a spatula or butter knife. Then, invert cake onto a similarly sized baking sheet without edges, by holding against the top edges of the jelly roll pan and flipping it over. Peel off parchment paper and let cool completely. Wash the jelly roll pan, to have ready for soaking the cake.
• For the Strawberries and Whipped Topping:
• Reserve 18 whole (but cleaned) berries. To begin the maceration process, slice the rest of the berries into a bowl, mix in the sugar, and refrigerate.
• Whip the heavy cream with an electric beater until stiff peaks form.
• Cook's Note: Each individual serving will have two layers of cake. You can adjust the serving size based on the way you slice the cake. If serving in martini glasses (as was done on the episode), cut the cake into rectangles which are approximately 3 inches square (a count of 4 across the width of the sheet cake and 6 along the length of the cake). This will yield 24 rectangles for 12 servings. You can also make slightly larger servings if using a flat serving plate by cutting into 12 rectangles which are about 4 inches square. Return the cake squares to the jelly roll pan and pour the cold tea over them allowing to soak.
• To assemble:
• Use a spatula to transfer a slice of cake to each of the serving glasses or plates. Spoon some of the macerated strawberries on top of each cake round and top with vanilla cream. Cover with the second layer of sponge cake, then more strawberries, then more vanilla cream, and top with a dollop of whipped cream around which you will arrange 3 whole strawberries and a sprig of fresh mint.

CLASSIC STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch-round cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper; butter the parchment and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Make the cake: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk the melted butter, vanilla bean paste, eggs, milk and lemon zest in a medium bowl until just smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out of the pan onto the rack and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the toppings and filling: Halve 16 strawberries. Whisk 1 tablespoon water and the strawberry jelly in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the halved strawberries and toss to coat; set aside. Thinly slice the remaining strawberries, then toss with 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in another medium bowl; set aside. Beat the heavy cream, the remaining 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Refrigerate the whipped cream until ready to assemble. Carefully cut the cake in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Place the bottom half cut-side up on a platter. Drizzle the juices from the sliced berries over the cut sides of both cake halves. Fold a few tablespoons of the whipped cream into the sliced berries; spoon over the bottom cake layer. Cover with the other cake layer, then top with the remaining whipped cream. Top with the halved strawberries and their juices. Photograph by Anna Williams

STRAWBERRY VANILLA PUDDING SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine the cool pudding and the milk.
• With wire whisk, beat until well blended.
• Slowly stir in 1 cup of Cool Whip.
• Layer the pound cake, then strawberries, then pudding.
• Layer again, with the cake, berries, and then Cool Whip.
• Serve up and enjoy!

STRAWBERRY VANILLA SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Pour milk in large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in 3/4 cup whipped topping.
• Place 1 of the cake slices on each of six dessert plates. Top evenly with half of the strawberries and all of the piudding mixture. Cover with the remaining cake slices and the remaining strawberries. Top with the remaining whipped topping.
• Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 1 hour before serving.