Classic Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients:

272g (2 cups) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

4oz cold unsalted butter ~ cut into 1/2" pcs

1 large egg

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup buttermilk

4 cups ripe strawberries

2 tbsp granulated sugar

Whipped Cream

1-1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp granulated sugar

Directions/Instructions:

1. Put 1/3 of the strawberries in a medium bowl and use a potato masher, crush into a chunky puree.  Slice the remaining strawberries 1/4" thick and stir them into the mashed berries along with the sugar.  Taste the berries, add more sugar if necessary.  Let the berries sit at room temperature for at least 30 mins.
2. Preheat the oven to 220 deg C or 425 F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar into a large bowl.  Stir in the salt.  Use a pastry blender, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
4. In a small bowl, beat the egg and heavy cream with a fork.  Mix in the buttermilk, make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and pour in the cream mixture.  Mix with the fork until the dough is evenly moistened and just comes together; it will still look a little shaggy.
5. Gather the dough and gently knead it 3-4 times.  If the dough seems dry and does not form a cohesive mass, work in more cream - 1 tsp at a time.
6. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 3/4" thick disk  With a sharp 2-1/2" biscuit cutter, press straight down to cut the dough into rounds and lift straight up to remove (Note: Do not twist the cutter or it will seal the sides of the biscuits and interfere with rising)
7. Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheet.  Gather the dough scraps and repeat the procedure until a total of 6.
8. Lightly brush the biscuit tops with cream (abt 1 tbsp) and sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar.  Bake until the biscuit tops are lightly browned for about 10-12 mins - rotate the baking sheet only once.  Let the biscuits cool slightly while preparing the whipped cream.
9. Whip the heavy cream and sugar to soft peaks with an electric hand mixer in a large, chilled metal bowl.  Covered and refrigerate until ready to serve.
10. To assemble, use a serrate knife to split the warm biscuits in half horizontally and transfer the bottom onto the dessert plates.  Spoon about 3/4 of the macerated berries and their juice evenly over the biscuit bottom.  Top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and cover each with a biscuit top.  Repeat for the remaining biscuits and serve immediately.

Note:

Before serving, the biscuits can be baked 10-12 hours ahead and reheated in a 350 F oven.