Winter Shortcake Food

WINTER SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• For the shortcake, in a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Cut in butter to resemble coarse crumbs. Mix egg and milk; add to flour mixture and stir to just moisten.
• Spread batter into a greased 8x1-1/2-inch round baking pan. Bake in a 450°F oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Split into 2 layers.
• Prepare Apple-Cherry Filling. Spoon half of the warm filling and some whipped cream over first layer. Top with the second layer, the remaining filling and the remaining whipped cream. Serve immediately.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss strawberries with 3/4 cup sugar; let sit to bring out their juices.
• In a food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, 1/2 cup sugar, and the salt until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal but with some pea-size bits of butter remaining, 10 to 12 times. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup cream and the eggs; pour over flour mixture, and pulse until some large clumps begin to form, 25 to 30 times.
• Using a half-cup measuring cup, gently pack dough, invert, and then tap out onto a baking sheet. Repeat to form 8 biscuits. Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes.
• Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream and 2 tablespoons sugar with the vanilla until soft peaks form.
• Slice biscuits in half horizontally. Spoon strawberries and their liquid over bottom halves. Spoon whipped cream on strawberries, and replace top halves of biscuits.

FAVORITE SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a separate bowl combine eggs, sugar, milk, and vanilla; mix well.
• Combine egg mixture with dry ingredients.
• Melt butter and add to batter, beating well.
• Pour into 2 greased 8-inch baking pans.
• Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.
• Serve warm or cold with strawberries and a little milk!

SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees; grease a 9x9 dish & set aside.
• In a large bowl, cut flour, sugar & butter together until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1/2 cup of this mixture.
• To the remaining butter mixture, add the rest of the ingredients & mix well.
• Pour into prepared dish & sprinkle topping over.
• Bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Note #1: The edges of the cake may turn a light golden brown while baking, but the topping should not brown.
• Note #2: Double the ingredients to make a larger (9x13) cake.

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.