Last class was all about making jams. Hopefully you made some of my recipes and came up with some of your own. The jam lesson filled my mind with thoughts of all the wonderful summer fruits. That got me thinking about my favorite fruit desserts of the summer. There are so many: pies, crumbles, crisps, cobblers, etc. But I must say, a classic is definitely in my top three; Strawberry Shortcake. I have vivid memories of eating this dessert during my boyhood summers at our bungalow in upstate New York. My Grandma Millie would pick up strawberries from the local farm stand and make this wonderful dessert. After dinner the entire family would sit out on the porch, each of us with a bowl filled with lusciously sweet strawberries, billowy whipped cream and that delicious shortcake that had soaked up all of that wonderful strawberry juice. After this class you will be able to make this dessert and create some memories with your family.

Before I go into the recipe I want to talk about shortcake, quick breads and maceration. Shortcake is basically a sweet biscuit. The crumbly texture makes it ideal to serve with juicy fruit because as I stated before, it soaks up all of that fabulous liquid. What makes it rise and gives it the desired texture is baking powder. Baking powder is a leavener like yeast, but it works much more quickly and does not impart that distinct yeasty flavor. Additionally, it does not cause whatever you are making to rise as much as yeast, thus the difference in texture when using it versus yeast. Because it releases its carbon dioxide so fast, it is used to make “quick breads.” As the name implies, you can make them in much less time than traditional yeast breads.

Finally, I want to talk about maceration. It is a word that is frequently used, but I thought some of you may not know exactly what it means. When you macerate something, you soften or break it down by using liquid. In the case of fruit, you use sugar to release their natural juices. Macerated fruit is softer, sweeter and has released that flavor filled juice that you want in desserts like shortcake.

Okay, now that you know what everything is, let’s get cooking!

This recipe will make six servings. For it you will need: one and ½ pounds ripe strawberries, stems removed and cut in half, juice and zest of one orange, ½ + 1/3 cup white sugar, spray oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, two and ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter cut into cubes, one beaten egg, 2/3 cup whole milk, ½ cup heavy cream, four teaspoons baking powder, three large bowls, two small bowls, baking sheet, whisk, wooden spoon, plastic wrap, rolling pin, three inch biscuit cutter, measuring spoons, measuring cups, pastry brush, one can whipped cream and a microplane.

The first thing you want to do is start the berries macerating. You want them to macerate at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Please note, the longer they macerate, the softer they will become, so if you go too long, you will end up with mushy fruit instead of soft fruit. To macerate the strawberries, place them in a bowl with ¼ cup sugar and the juice and zest of one orange. I like to add the orange because I think it creates another layer of flavor and the acidity helps balance the sweetness. Once combined, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.\
Now, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl whisk together two and ¼ cups of the flour, the salt, the baking powder and ¼ cup sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the beaten egg and milk and then set aside. Next, put the cold, cubed butter into the flour mixture. Using your fingers, mix the butter into the flour until it has the consistency of coarse crumbs. Once this is done, add in the egg and milk. Using the wooden spoon, stir the mixture until just combined.

The next thing you want to do is spread the remaining ¼ cup of flour out on your counter and put the shortcake out on top of it. Knead the shortcake for about two minutes, just until it comes together. It won’t be a smooth dough; it is supposed to be somewhat crumbly.

It is time to roll out your shortcake. Put a little flour on your rolling pin and roll out the shortcake dough to ½ inch. Once it is at desired thickness, it is time to cut out the shortcakes. When you do this, do NOT twist the biscuit cutter in the dough. This will result in flat, hockey puck like shortcakes. Instead, put a little flour on the cutter, insert it straight down into the dough and then pull straight up. Once all shortcakes are cut, place on a sprayed baking sheet.

Okay, now I want to gild the lily. In one small bowl, put the heavy cream, in another small bowl; put the remaining 1/3 cup sugar. Take a pastry brush and brush heavy cream on the tops of all the shortcakes. Next, sprinkle them with sugar. This not only adds another level of sweetness, but it also creates a wonderful color and texture on the top of the cake. Bake the shortcake for eighteen to twenty minutes, just until lightly browned. Remove from the baking sheet immediately and place on a plate to cool.

Okay, now is the time to assemble. Cut each short cake in half and place the bottom half on a plate. Spoon over some macerated strawberries then put on desired amount of whipped cream. Top the fruit and whipped cream with the other half of the shortcake. You can serve it like this or after it is topped, you can spoon more strawberries over it and add more whipped cream. That’s it!
Now that you know the technique, you can personalize these shortcakes. Try them with blueberries or raspberries. Maybe add in some lemon zest or rosemary into the shortcake dough itself.

Remember, as with any technique or recipe, the most important component is the cook’s heart. The heart is what helps you create delicious meals you’ll never forget.