Strawberry Shortcakes for 2 (America's Test Kitchen)
"Since there are only two of us in the house (well only 2 humans), I don't like to make desserts because there's SO MUCH. So when I came across this recipe I had to try it. It was delicious and the portions were just perfect for us. From Cooking For Two 2009, America's Test Kitchen"
- Ready In:
- 32mins
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Yields:
-
2 shortcakes
- Serves:
- 2
ingredients
- 2⁄3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons half-and-half
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
- 5 teaspoons sugar
- 1⁄3 cup heavy cream, chilled
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract
directions
- For the shortcakes, use first 8 ingredients: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, mix the flour, 5 teaspoons of sugar, the baking powder, and salt until combined (about 3 pulses) then add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal (about 15 pulses).
- Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Whisk the half-and-half and the whole egg together then mix into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until large clumps form. The recipe indicates that using regular milk is ok but not as rich as the half-and-half and that using heavy cream makes the cakes too dense.
- Turn the mixture onto a floured board and shape the dough into two circles about 2-1/2 inches in diameter and about 1 inch thick.
- Brush the tops with the egg white. Then sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- Place on prepared cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, turning the pan halfway through cooking.
- Cool on wire wrack.
- For the fruit use the next 2 ingredients: Crush 3/4 cup (about 3.75 ounces) of the strawberries with a potato masher in a medium bowl. Slice the remaining strawberries and fold them into the crushed berries, along with the sugar. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes.
-
For the whipped cream use the last 3 ingredients:
- Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium spead until frothy -- about 1 minute. Then turn to high and whip to soft peaks, 1-3 minutes. Of course, store bought whipped cream will work, too.
- To serve: Slice the shortcake horizontally. Place some of the strawberries on the bottom half, put a dollop or two of whipped cream on the strawberries and top with the other half of the short cake.
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Also see Cook's May/June 1997 issue which has been served to hundreds of happy children and their parents at our school's May Faire event.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<p>I've been married to my husband since Leap Day 1992. We met at Clark AB, Republic of the Philippines, at the terminal when we were both trying to get home on leave. Once we got back to Clark, it took a year before we started dating. We told all our friends that we weren't serious about one another. They told us we were. 4 years later, we found out they were right. <br /> <br />Our food tastes couldn't have been more different. I grew up with bland foods since my mother never had been exposed to spicy foods. He loved HEAT. Slowly we've grown more alike in our food tastes but the day he ate a brussel sprout in front of me nearly ended our relationship. *laugh* <br /> <br />He's retired from the Air Force, I got out after 4 years in, so we're both civilian again. <br /> <br />We are the parents of 2 wonderful girls and a super handsome boy-- all dogs. In my spare time I knit and spin. <br /> <br /> <br /> </p>
