Ultimate Strawberry Shortcake

Posted by Claire:

Just recently I was at the West End market in Australia and I managed to get really cheap strawberries at just 2AUD a punnet, so naturally being a huge berry fan I got two big punnets though the strawberries were really overripe and close to spoiling. So what better way to use them up if not with a great strawberry recipe for hot summer days? (though it's kinda autumn now...)  

I had to get to work pretty quick and soon I was rummaging through thousands (not exaggerating ok) of strawberry recipes until I found this perfect strawberry shortcake recipe. 

Please trust me. I swear by this recipe. Just reading it, I could tell that it was gonna turn out amazing and I was sooo excited to try it out. All the technicalities of this recipe were so genius. Like hard boiled egg yolks instead of raw ones to retain the richness of a yolk without risking the extra moisture? Genius!!!! So I got to baking the shortcakes and even in the oven the smell that wafted through the whole apartment was so good. And when i had my first bite, I knew I reached shortcake nirvana~~ (as the original recipe promised) 

Recipe adapted from Russ Parsons

Shortcake

224 grams all-purpose flour

50 grams sugar

20 grams baking powder

2 hard-boiled egg yolks

1/8 teaspoon salt

84 grams cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 teaspoons lemon or orange zest (optional)

168 grams + 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Shortcake filling

1/2 pound strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered

25 grams sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup whipping cream, beaten to soft peaks

Method

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, egg yolks, and salt. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and zest, if using, and pulse until the flour resembles coarse meal. (Since i didnt have a food processor, I pressed in the butter as shown in the pictures.) Add 168 cup of cream and pulse until the dough comes together.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gather into a shaggy mass. Knead a couple times to make it into a cohesive mass and then pat it into a rough circle about 6 to 7 inches in diameter, and 3/4 to 1-inch thick.

3. Use a cookie cutter to make shapes of your choice. Chill for 20 minutes (and up to 2 hours).

4. Preheat oven to 176°C. Brush the tops of the shortcakes very lightly with heavy cream and sprinkle lightly with the coarse sugar. Bake until risen and golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Turn the pan around halfway through to ensure even cooking.

5. While the shortcakes are baking, toss the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice together in a bowl. Let stand several minutes. 

6. Split the shortcakes in half horizontally and set the tops aside. Place the bottoms on dessert plates and heap strawberries over them. Spoon whipped cream generously over the strawberries and replace the shortcake tops. 

I think shortcakes are more like scones in my understanding! They're kind of bread-like, and when fresh out of the oven, the outside is really crisp, while the inside is soft and fluffy. They are really really tasty, so please try making them since they require relatively little effort! Hope you enjoy them!

Love,

Claire