The boyfriend found this recipe on the smitten kitchen blog (if you haven't checked it out, you should!) and since I had a co-worker give me a couple of quarts of strawberries shortly after, it seemed destiny. I baked them and we ate the first couple plain, and although they were tasty, the boyfriend thought they weren't as sweet as he expected a scone to be and therefore would work great as a strawberry shortcake base. So, of course, as I still had berries left, I sliced up some (use an egg slicer if you have one lying around - works great!!), added some sugar, whipped up some whipping cream and presto, strawberry shortcakes with strawberry and cream biscuits. Very tasty! I neglected to get a picture, but, well, we all know what strawberry shortcake looks like. And the pictures on the smitten kitchen blog are amazing.
2 1/4 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (15 grams) aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold, unsalted butter
1 cup (about 130 grams) chopped very ripe strawberries (I quarter small or medium ones and further chop larger ones)
1 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bottom of a large, wide-ish bowl, whisk flours, baking powder,
sugar and salt together. Add butter, either by cutting it in with two
knives or a pastry blender (alternatively, you can freeze the butter and
grate it in on the large holes of a box grater; a tip I learned from
you guys) cut it into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, breaking
it up until the mixture resembles a crumbly meal with tiny pea-sized
bits of butter about. Gently stir in the strawberries, so that they are
coated in dry ingredient, then stir in heavy cream. (I like to use a
rubber spatula to gently lift and turn the ingredients over each other.)
When you’ve mixed it in as best as you can with the spatula, go ahead
and knead it once or twice in the bowl, to create one mass. Do not worry
about getting the dough evenly mixed. It’s far more important that the
dough is not overworked.
Generously flour your counter. With as few movements as possible,
transfer your dough to the counter, generously flour the top of it and
with your hands or a rolling pin, gently roll or press the dough out to a
3/4-inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2-inch circles with a floured biscuit
cutter or top edge of a drinking glass, pressing straight down and not
twisting (this makes for nice layered edges) as you cut. Carefully
transfer scones to prepared baking sheet, leaving a couple inches
between each.
You can re-roll the scraps of dough, but don’t freak out over how wet
the dough becomes as the strawberries have had more time to release
their juice. They’ll still bake up wonderfully.
Bake the scones for 12 to 15 minutes, until bronzed at the edges and
the strawberry juices are trickling out of the biscuits in places. Cool
in pan for a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at
room temperature.
Do ahead: Biscuits are generally best the day they are baked.
However, if you wish to get a lead on them, you can make them, arrange
them on your parchment-lined sheet and freeze them. If you’re prepping
just one day in advance, cover the tray with plastic wrap and bake them
the day you need them. If you’re preparing them more than one day in
advance, once they are frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or
container. Bring them back to a parchment-lined sheet when you’re ready
to bake them. No need to defrost the froze, unbaked scones, just add 2
to 3 minutes to your baking time.
