i think i have only one bit of advice when it comes to strawberries: always get more than you think you will need, especially if you plan to store your strawberries in the vicinity of other people, particularly little people. addictively sweet with a note of pucker, piled in flimsy green baskets that can barely contain them, delicately bulleted with yellow seeds--they are irresistible to humankind.
strawberry season is painfully short, so i dive right in and am known to have red-stained fingertips for a two month stretch. maybe i am a strawberry snob, but why even bother with one out of season? biting into a spring strawberry that sends ruby juices dribbling down your chin and fills your head with long built-up sunshine sugar is how nature intended it for us.
strawberries shine on their own, so my philosophy when serving them in a dish is to get out of the way as much as possible. they don't need much help to steal the show. classic strawberry shortcake gets the formula right. a flaky, buttery biscuit and barely sweetened whipped cream is the ultimate frame for a strawberry's vibrance. i enlisted the help of thing 1 & thing 2 in lieu of a pastry cutter. rubbing cold butter into flour is right up thing 1 & 2's alley.
i've already revealed my strawberry snobbery, so while i am in the spirit of pompousness: our shortcakes were a masterpiece. i am convinced my children have gifted fingers. clearly they are going to harvard. shortcakes do not lie.
truth: shortcakes are a cinch to make. i followed a recipe from chez panisse exactly to stunning results. if, by chance, your shortcakes come out a little lopsided (several of mine did), all the better. the strawberries are the only thing that need to be perfect here. the only change i made was to marry them with several spoonfuls of tupelo honey instead of sugar. barely-golden, lightly sweet, and just a hint floral, tupelo honey begs for a bed with strawberries. i am not one to keep lovers apart.
strawberry shortcake with tupelo honey
(serves 12)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar + 2 tablespoons for dusting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
3/4 cup heavy cream + 2 tablespoons for brushing tops
4 pint baskets of strawberries
1/4 - 1/2 cup tupelo honey (or substitute sugar)
For "creme Chantilly" aka whipped cream:
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
preheat oven to 450. combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a large mixing bowl. whisk lightly to combine. add the chilled butter, and toss to coat it with the flour mixture. use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the flour until it resembles cornmeal with a few larger pieces of butter (the size of peas) in it. you can also rub the butter between your fingers to achieve the same effect.
mix in 3/4 cup of heavy cream with a fork, just until most of the dry mixture has been moistened and the dough is shaggy. turn the dough out onto a board and knead a few times until the dough just comes together (at this point, i vere slightly from the recipe and wrap the dough disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. i find this makes it easier to roll and handle). roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut into squares or circles (using a cookie cutter). you should have 12 individual shortcakes if you re-roll the scraps.
place the shortcakes on an unbuttered baking sheet. brush the tops with the 2 tablespoons of cream using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon. sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar on top. bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops are lightly brown and the dough is set. cool on a rack and serve warm.
while the shortcakes bake (or a few hours ahead of time), wash, dry, and hull the strawberries. crush about one-quarter of the berries using a fork or potato masher and slice the rest of the strawberries in with them. toss with honey (or sugar) to taste. chill until serving time (if made ahead) or keep at room temperature. the strawberry mixture should be very juicy.
make the whipped cream: add the 3 cups heavy cream and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a handheld mixer). beat on medium (gradually increase to medium-high) until it mounds softly and just barely holds its shape. the cream will have about doubled in volume. do not over whip! fold in the vanilla.
to serve: warm the shortcakes if necessary, split them (the tines of a fork can help with this task), and spoon the strawberries liberally over the bottom halves, then spoon whipped cream over the strawberries. there should be lots of berries and lots of cream. place the top back on and serve immediately.
notes
* this recipe adapted from chez panisse desserts by lindsey remolif shere