Strawberry Shortcakes
I’ve been trying to work on my photography, lately.
It’s a really steep learning curve. There’s so much that goes into it: learning your camera’s settings, learning what ISO, aperture, and exposure work best with the lighting you have, what even is the best lighting you have an how you can make it better…and that’s only the beginning! You also have to worry about composition of the photo, how you should present the food, what props you need to accentuate the food, the post-editing of the photos…
When I started this blog, I thought that my recipe being delicious was all that mattered. But it’s the photos that prove that the recipe is delicious! My photos have definitely come a long way in the 4 or 5 years that I’ve had this blog, but they are still so far from where I want them to be. I only just (about 6 months ago) started taking all the photos myself without the help of Mikey.
I guess what I’m saying is, thanks for bearing with me as I continue to try to teach myself how to do this stuff!
Now, let’s talk about strawberry shortcake! I feel like it’s one of those comfort desserts that everyone loves. It’s simple, yet so satisfying. The key is perfectly ripe strawberries, which makes it perfect to share now, as all the strawberries are pouring into the grocery stores. When I was walking through the produce section of my grocery store, I could smell the strawberries even when they were out of sight…that’s when you know they’re perfect! (How many times can I say “perfect” in one paragraph…sheesh.)
The base is a shortcake recipe that is from Martha Stewart. I made it a bit easier though by utilizing a food processor instead of mixing it all by hand. I think this is what lead to the cakes spreading out a bit instead of staying neat and pretty, but as long as it tastes this amazing, I’m totally cool with that. Plus, Mikey and I both agreed that we liked the “rustic” look.
It’s crumbly and tender and the sugar in top gives it a nice crust. It’s kind of all-around amazing, especially when the strawberry juice soaks into it!
The strawberries on top are just mixed with some sugar and lemon juice, and the whipped cream just includes a bit of sugar and vanilla bean paste (because I like being able to see the little vanilla specks!)—sometimes keeping stuff simple is the best. I also included a few sprigs of the lemon balm that is flourishing on my balcony for a little color (mint would be great, too!).
PrintStrawberry Shortcakes
Yield: 5 servings
Ingredients:
for the shortcakes:
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp cream
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar, + more for tops of shortcakes
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
- !for the egg wash:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tbsp cream
for the strawberries:
- 2 cup hulled and quartered strawberries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- juice from 1 lemon (I used a Meyer lemon)
for the whipped cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
- lemon balm (or fresh mint), to garnish
Directions:
for the shortcakes:
- Preheat ove to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, beat together the egg and cream.
- In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter and pulse 3 or 4 times. While pulsing, pour in the cream mixture, until just combined. You want to be able to see a few chunks of butter here and there.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and carefully form into a square about an inch high. Using a knife or shaped cutters, cut out 5 shortcakes.
- Beat together the egg wash ingredients.
- Place the shortcakes onto the prepared baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar. Bake for 25 minutes until golden.
for the strawberries:
- In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir with a spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least an hour.
for the whipped cream:
- In either a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream to soft peaks. Add in the vanilla and sugar and beat until desired consistency.
to serve:
- Split each shortcake open, carefully, with a serrated knife. Spoon the strawberries and their juices on the bottom, dollop with whipped cream, and finish with the top of the shortcake. Add more whipped cream and garnish with lemon balm.
recipe adapted from here
Mmm…I can almost smell the strawberry shortcake over here! I agree, the rustic look works great for strawberry shortcake. I remember always being kind of jealous as a kid that my brother could have this for his birthday dessert and I couldn't, because of when our birthdays fall during the year…
Hahah, aww well strawberry shortcake probably wouldn't be near as delicious in fall or winter!
Hey Rach,
How r u? I took the Shortcakes they were raving but how good they were. I was unable to really cut them in half. When I tried they would start to break so I gave up. When I made the dough I cut out my biscuits using the bottom of a glass instead of a knife. What I ended up with were 14 whole biscuits basically no tops or bottoms. How did u get to look so nice when u cut them? All that aside it was one girl's bday at work and this is her favorite dessert and it turned out wonderfully. She even suggested I share with my pastry chefs it was so good. Thank you for a wonderful recipe very delicious.
So glad everyone liked them! I cut mine in half very carefully with a very sharp, serrated knife. It definitely should be serrated or you'll just squish the little cakes 🙂
Hey Rach,
How are you? I posted a comment earlier it never showed up. The shortcakes were a hit I took some to work. Everyone was raving how great they tasted. One of the cooks I shared wanted me to share with our pastry chef. I gave up trying to cut the biscuits when I tried they started to break apart. I am not sure how u managed to cut them so nicely. When I finished I ended up with 14 biscuits no tops or bottoms. I used the bottom of a glass to cut out the circles to stick in the oven. I loved the strawberries the lemon ends a nice touch to the strawberries. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Sometimes comments take a while to show up because I have to manually okay each of them since I get so much spam, haha