The Best-Ever Shortcake

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

This past weekend, I had a bunch of people over to celebrate Father’s Day. I needed a delicious sweet to end the meal that I could make ahead, that was seasonal and most important, a home run for the dads in the group.

I had bought some local strawberries (they just started making an appearance in my market) and so I thought, strawberry shortcakes! The dough is super simple and luckily I had all of the ingredients, which meant not having to make another trip to the market.

Now I have had my share of shortcakes over the years, but this one takes the cake, literally! Maybe it’s because it contains a lovely amount of heavy cream and butter -- two ingredients that are not part of my everyday consumption or at least, not used with abandon these days.

In any event, these biscuits were simply amazing…crispy tops and flaky insides with just the right amount of tender sweetness. The biscuit s are so tender that if you cut them in half while still warm, they will fall apart so you need to cool them slightly first. They are just that deliciously delicate.

This recipe easily doubles to make 8.

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Strawberry Shortcakes for Dad’s Day
Serves 4
1 cup all purpose flour
4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
1 large egg, beaten for glaze
Sanding sugar for garnish
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Whipped cream for garnish, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Pulse together flour, 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse just until mixture looks like sand. Add cream and pulse just until a dough forms.
2. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface (dough will be sticky) and press out into a square about ¾-inch thick and with a square or round biscuit cutter, cut 4 biscuits, pressing scraps together, as needed. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and chill for 20 minutes.
3. Brush tops with egg and dust with sanding sugar. Bake in middle of oven until golden brown on top and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile toss berries with lemon juice and remaining granulated sugar, to taste.
4. Let biscuits cool for 10 minutes. Halve horizontally and top with strawberries and whipped cream, if using. Serve immediately. This recipe easily doubles to serve 8.

Note: Sanding sugar is sugar that has larger granules. Granulated sugar is just regular sugar. We use the term, “granulated,” here to distinguish it from the sanding sugar.

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