Strawberry Shortcake: A Dessert That Says “Spring”

Whether in pancakes, in pie or simply served plain, there’s no bad way to eat a strawberry. And I have eaten plenty as we’ve entered strawberry season and prices have plummeted. I recently bought a 16-ounce container of strawberries for $1.59 and saw some grocers selling them for as low as a buck. They may not be as red and juicy as those at a green market (or better yet, straight from my mother-in-law’s garden), but they’re more than adequate for one of my favorite springtime desserts: strawberry shortcake.

Some people like to add spoonful after spoonful of sugar to the strawberries that accompany their shortcake. I prefer none at all. I simply chop off the strawberries’ leafy ends and cut the fruit into quarters.

Strawberry season will end all too soon, but don’t despair. This shortcake is easy enough and tasty enough to experiment topping with other fruit, or even to eat only with your favorite jelly or jam.

Strawberry Shortcake

(Recipe adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook)
Makes 8-9 biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2/3 cup half-and-half (or 1/2 cup milk, adding heavy cream until the total amount of liquid equals 2/3 cup)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
whipped cream, if desired

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

Blend half-and-half with beaten egg and pour into flour mixture. Stir with a rubber spatula.

Scoop large spoonfuls of dough onto greased cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

To serve: Split biscuit in half. Top the bottom with fruit and whipped cream, and cap with biscuit top. Add another dollop of whip cream.

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