Description
A classic Strawberry Shortcake recipe featuring juicy macerated strawberries, tender homemade biscuits, and freshly whipped cream, perfect for an elegant dessert or a summertime treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Strawberries
- 2 pounds strawberries, rinsed, stems removed, and quartered
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Juice of 1 medium lemon (2 to 3 tablespoons)
Biscuit Sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
Biscuit Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 1/4 cups cold heavy cream
Whipped Cream
- 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Macerate the Strawberries: In a large bowl, toss together the quartered strawberries, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Set aside to macerate and become juicy while you prepare the biscuits.
- Prepare Biscuit Sugar: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is fragrant.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt to the aromatic sugar mixture, and stir with a fork to combine.
- Cut in the Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
- Add Cream and Mix: Drizzle in the cold heavy cream and mix gently with a fork just until a sticky dough forms.
- Shape the Biscuits: Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, form the dough into 8 large, tall mounds and arrange them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.
- Bake the Biscuits: Bake the biscuits in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bottoms are deeply golden and the tops are lightly browned. Let cool slightly.
- Make Whipped Cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the heavy cream and sugar on medium-high until stiff peaks just form, about 90 seconds. Do not overwhip.
- Assemble the Shortcakes: Carefully split the warm biscuits in half. Spoon strawberries with their juices over the bottom halves, add a generous dollop of whipped cream, and cap with the top half of the biscuit. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use cold butter and cream for flaky biscuits.
- Do not overmix the biscuit dough to keep biscuits tender.
- Let the strawberries macerate for at least 30 minutes for best flavor and juiciness.
- Serve the shortcakes immediately after assembly to maintain biscuit texture.
- Can substitute heavy cream with whipping cream but results may vary.
