I have no memory of where I got this recipe in the first place but I scribbled it on a piece of Japanese stationary at least 12 years ago and have tweaked it over the years to work perfectly for sweet shortcakes. Every time I look at that greasy beat up piece of paper I think “I gotta write that down somewhere where it can’t get lost”. So, now I am…
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Fresh strawberries
Lemon
Sugar
Cream
Vanilla
Sugar
Recipe
In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Then cut in the cold butter, cut in to small pieces, either quickly with your fingers or a pastry cutter until it’s a course meal texture. In a measuring cup measure out the heavy cream and the add in the vanilla. Pout that mixture over the flour mix and quickly, with as few strokes and possible, combine the wet and dry ingredients. Using your hands at the end bring it all together in a ball and the flatten it out to about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into squares. 4 for very large cakes, 6 for medium, 8 small. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, sprinkle a little more sugar on top and place in a 425 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. They should be golden brown on top. Slice up strawberries, squeeze a little lemon on them and add some sugar to taste for the filling. Make vanilla whipped cream. Once the shortcakes cool split them in half and put some strawberries inside and top with a healthy amount of whipped cream the replace the top. The dough part of this recipe also makes a phenomenal cobbler. Just mix cut up fruit with a couple tablespoons of corn star, sugar and a couple tablespoons of melted butter. Put in in a baking no dish and the crumble the dough over top. Bake at 400 for 1/2 hour or until the fruit mixture is bubbling and the dough is golden brown.
Olivia Williamson
Olivia Williamson I graduated from the French Culinary Institute while still in my teens and have been working in some aspect of the food service industry ever since. After moving to Park Slope 12 years ago and starting a family I formed my meal delivery business, Olivia Cooks For You. Since that time the business has grown into also an event catering service for everything from small dinner parties, to weddings and large corporate events. Despite food being my business, it’s still my passion and joy and I jump at any opportunity to cook for my friends and family.