Strawberry Shortcake and Other Deliciousness

Let me apologize for the quality of the photos in this post. I've gotten quite lazy about getting out my good camera. It's so easy to grab my phone that I've neglected real documentation. Ugh... note to self- get back to real photos!

We didn't get near as many berries from the garden this year as we have in the two years prior. Too much rain, and not enough sunshine makes for a poor berry season. Thankfully we've had lots of strawberry shortcake. Not enough, but we'll be thankful for what we've had. ;-)

Strawberry Shortcake

Scones:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 tbls baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup cream, half and half, or milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and place rack in middle of oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Whisk together the egg, cream and vanilla extract and add to the flour mixture, mixing just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough gently four or five times and then pat or roll the dough into a 7 inch round. With a 3 inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and place the scones on the baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of a scone comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack.

Filling:

2 pounds fresh strawberries

1/4 cup - 1/3 cup granulated white sugar (or to taste)

Wash, hull, and slice the strawberries. Place about one third of the strawberries in a large bowl and crush them with a potato masher or fork. Add the remaining sliced strawberries, along with the sugar.  Cover and refrigerate.

Topping:

1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

1 - 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar (or to taste)

Chill the bowl and whisk in the freezer for about 15 - 30 minutes. Place the cream and sugar in the bowl and whip until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for a few hours.

To Serve: Cut the scones in half and place the bottom half of the scone (soft side up) on a dessert plate. Top with some of the strawberries and whipped cream. Place the top half of the scone on the strawberries. Top with whipped cream and a few more strawberries. If there is any juice from the strawberries, drizzle a little over the top of the scone. Serve immediately.

Serves 8 people.

Not to worry; we've made some healthier things with our berries, too.