Michelle Darmody: How to bake a classic Strawberry Shortcake — and mistakes to avoid
Strawberry shortcake conjures up images of summer days and genteel picnics.
Strawberry shortcake conjures up images of summer days and genteel picnics. For me it also brings back childhood memories of fancy notepaper, stickers and erasers that all had a Strawberry Shortcake character imprinted on them.
She had a big floppy hat and an arm full of strawberries that you could very often scratch and sniff to unveil an achingly sweet strawberry aroma.
Today's shortcakes are not as achingly sweet; they are more a cross between a shortbread and a scone.
As a dessert they are popular in the United States and served during the warmer months. Some people prefer to call them "sweet cream" biscuits, but I do like the strawberry shortcake title.
If strawberries are not a favorite, you can fill them with any soft fruit, grilled peaches work very well or poached pears. You can spoon on the softened fruit and drizzle a little of the juice over the cream.
I do try and whip the cream well for a dessert like this, particularly if a little time will lapse between when you are filling them and serving them.
The peaks on the cream should be firm to touch. It can be a delicate balance between the perfect peak and curdling, so it is good to slow down when the cream looks almost there, and whip gently and carefully for the last few seconds.
Strawberry Shortcake
If strawberries are not a favorite, you can fill them with any soft fruit, grilled peaches work very well or poached pears. You can spoon on the softened fruit and drizzle a little of the juice over the cream.
Servings
6Preparation Time
20 minsCooking Time
15 minsTotal Time
35 minsCourse
DessertIngredients
330g self raising flour, sieved
60g golden caster sugar
125g cold butter, cut into small cubes
125 ml cream, cold
1 tsp of vanilla
1 egg and an extra egg white
2 tsp of granulated sugar
For the filling
240ml cream
2 tsp honey
300g strawberries, stalks removed and halved or sliced
Method
1. Line a large flat baking tray with parchment.
2. Stir the flour and sugar together. Rub in the butter until it resembles rough breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre.
3. Lightly beat the cream, vanilla and the whole egg with a fork. Pour this into the well in the centre of the flour mixture and bring everything together to form a dough. It should be wet but not so sticky that you cannot work with it.
4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and pat it down so that it is about 2 inches in height. Cut out six discs and place them apart on your tray.
5. Lightly beat the egg white and brush it onto the top of each shortcake. Sprinkle this with the granulated sugar. Place the tray into the fridge to allow the shortcakes to firm up for about an hour, or longer if you wish.
6. Preheat your oven to 220ºC/gas mark 7.
7. Bake in the centre of your oven for about 15 minutes or until golden on top. Once cool enough to handle place the shortcakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Whip the cream with the honey until stiff peaks form. Depending on the size of the strawberries halve of chop them.
9. Using a serrated knife to cut the shortcakes in half horizontally. Fill the base with cream and top this with your prepared strawberries, before placing the lid on the shortcake. You can also top this with more strawberries and cream if you wish to layer it up.
- Sieving the flour not only lightens the end result, but it also helps to distribute the flour evenly into the rest of the ingredients. This will prevent dry pockets of flour forming throughout your shortcakes.
- It is best not to overwork the dough as this will make it dense and chewy. You are aiming for a light scone like texture, so as little handling of the ingredients as possible it advised.
- Keeping the butter and cream cold, this, as well as the resting period in the fridge, allows the dough to stay cool and will result in a crisper finish. The sprinkling of granulated sugar before baking also provides a sweet, crunchy crust.
- Serve your strawberries at room temperature. This might seem like an unimportant tip, but I think it is one of the most important if you want a burst of flavour. Strawberries taste infinitely better when they have had time to warm up after being stored in the fridge. All the sweet summery flavour gets released on each bite.
- These are best served soon after making but the shortcakes can be stored by themselves at room temperature in an airtight container for up to three days if need be. You can then add the strawberries and cream just before serving.
- The shortcakes can be frozen for up to two months. Bake them directly from the freezer, allowing a few extra minutes baking time.
You can add 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds to the dough just before turning it out onto the floured surface. Gently knead them in so get evenly distributed.
They will add a slight liquorice or aniseed flavour to the shortcakes which pairs really well with strawberry. It adds an unusual twist.
Caraway has long been used in rye breads in northern Europe and in flat sweet biscuits further south in Spain or Portugal.
You can macerate the strawberries by chopping them into thin slices and sprinkling over 1 tablespoon of caster sugar, plus a squeeze of fresh lemon, then letting them stand for two hours.
Or use a splash of elderflower cordial in place of the lemon juice. This technique works well for a mixture of berries.
This dessert is delicious with a combination of berries macerated and the berries, and juice that they ooze out from them, spooned over the whipped cream.
By adding the zest of two lemons and 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds to the dough after the egg mixture has been added, you add a citrus burst as well as the nutty taste of the poppy seeds.
This variation can also be served with strawberries and cream, but it works wonderfully when topped with a generous dollop of lemon curd in place of the berries.
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