← Nouns Cooking · American

Ingredients

• 900 g Strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 60 g sugar, for the berries
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 250 g plain flour
• 1 tbsp Baking powder
• ¼ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 30 g Sugar
• ¾ tsp Salt
• 140 g cold unsalted butter, diced
• 180 ml cold buttermilk, plus 2 tbsp for brushing
• 1 tbsp demerara or coarse sugar, for sprinkling
• 360 ml cold double (heavy) cream
• 2 tbsp Icing sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Method

1. Toss the strawberries with the 60 g sugar and the lemon juice. Leave at room temperature for 30 min, stirring once, until they release a glossy syrup.
2. Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F) and line a baking tray. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 30 g sugar and salt in a bowl.
3. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until most of it is the size of peas. Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough just comes together.
4. Pat the dough out on a floured surface to 2.5 cm thick and cut 8 rounds with a 7 cm cutter, pressing straight down. Re-pat the scraps once.
5. Set the rounds on the tray, brush with buttermilk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 14–16 min, until risen and golden. Cool for 10 min.
6. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla to soft peaks.
7. Split the warm shortcakes, spoon strawberries and their syrup over the bottoms, add a big dollop of cream and replace the tops. Serve straight away.

Tips

• Keep everything cold, including your hands, so the butter stays in pieces and the shortcakes bake up flaky.
• Bake the shortcakes up to a day ahead and warm them for 5 min before serving.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Once Upon a Chef King Arthur Baking The Modern Proper