Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake has to be one of my favorite summer desserts. Of course it’s best if you make the shortcakes (scones) yourself, but even if you put this topping on good, bought shortcakes, angel food cake, or pound cake you’ll enjoy the flavors of strawberries, and summer. When I was a kid my family would go to Riverhead on Long Island for a weekend in June. We’d go camping, and spend one day at the Mattituck  Annual Strawberry Festival, and one day picking strawberries. We’d pick around 40 quarts, and you could eat as many strawberries as you wanted while you picked. We also picked peas a few of those years, and those peas were the freshest, sweetest peas I have ever had. I dream of those peas.

Once we returned home we’d open the trunk of the car (a huge bronze Chrysler) and the scent of those berries nearly knocked us over! Then we’d start the tedious, and seemingly endless task of hulling and freezing all those berries. I recall it taking hours, though it probably didn’t really take that long. My mom would lay them on cookie sheets to freeze, and once frozen we’d put them in plastic bags, and have strawberries all year for pies, pancakes, or for my dad who loved to eat a bowl of fruit with sour cream. 

We made those trips for years, I’m not sure when we stopped, but I think I have some photos from one such trip when my sisters and I were already in high school. I don’t remember ever having strawberry shortcakes as a kid. My mom who made the best pies would make rhubarb-strawberry pies, but I don’t recall a biscuit, or scone ever being made in that house.  Though I’m quite sure we ate it at the strawberry festival!

Macerate Strawberries-
slice one quart of strawberries and toss with 2 TBL of sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For Scones:
(Adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything)
Cream Scones makes about 5-6 3″ scones
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
4 TBL sugar
8 TBL cold butter cut into small bits
2 eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 450f
Mix dry ingredients in stand mixer, or food processor
Add butter and mix in until butter is just incorporated
Beat eggs and cream together, and add to dry ingredients
Mix very quickly- do not over-mix, or over-handle!
Turn mixture out onto floured board or counter and knead ten times
(dough will be sticky, so flour your hands)
Press dough out to an even 3/4″ thick, and cut using a 3″ round cutter
Place on ungreased cookie sheet
optional– make an egg wash with 1 yolk mixed with 1 TBL water
brush on scones
Use 1TBL sugar to sprinkle on scones (if you have sanding or demerara sugar you’ll get a nice crunchy topping)

Bake 9-11 minutes until they are a golden brown
Let cool before assembling shortcakes

Whipped Cream-homemade is always best!
1 cup heavy cream (if you can find some that is not ultra-pasteurized, that’s preferable)
1 TBL sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Beat until cream holds it’s shape and forms soft peaks- many people over-whip their cream, and it starts getting grainy- better to under than over-whip!
Keep stopping, and checking!

To assemble, slice scones horizontally, spoon on plenty of strawberries and their juice, spoon cream over fruit, and top with lid of scone.