Shortcake with Vanilla Whipped Cream and Berries

A Joke

A farmer was driving along the road with a load of fertilizer. A little boy, playing in front of his house, saw him and called, "What've you got in your truck?"

"Fertilizer," the farmer replied.

"What are you going to do with it?" asked the little boy.

"Put it on strawberries," answered the farmer.

"You ought to live here," the little boy advised him. "We put sugar and cream on ours."

The Recipe

Shortcake

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup cake flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1 / 2 cup sugar + extra for topping

2 tbsp shortening

2 tbsp unsalted butter + 1 for topping

1 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 450.

In a large metal mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add butter and shortening, do not mix, and set this and a fork in the freezer for half an hour.

Cut the butter and shortening into the flour mixture with the frozen fork. Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the heavy cream. Using a spatula, fold the cream into the flour until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Fold the dough into itself a few times then pat the dough out till it is about 3 /4 of a inch thick. Using a 3” biscuit cutter, portion the shortcakes.

Remove to a parchment lined sheet pan. You will want to set them so the are gently touching sides. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 450 for 10 to 15 min or until golden brown.

Split and top the bottom with berries and whipped cream. Place the top back on and repeat.

Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy cream

1 vanilla bean

1 / 3 cup sugar

Measure the cream into a medium size metal mixing bowl. Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape most of the seeds into cream. Wisk the mixture to combine then set in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours.

Measure the sugar into a small zip top bag and add the vanilla bean and remaining seeds to the sugar. Seal the bag and rub the mixture together then set aside.

After the allotted time has passed, remove the vanilla bean from the sugar. Mix the cream on low while slowly adding the sugar. Once the sugar is added increase the speed to med-high and mix until stiff peaks are formed.

Berries

3 pints berries (whatever looks good)

1 /2 cup sugar

Wash Berries and slice the strawberries if there are any. Toss them with 1/2 cup of white sugar. Set aside. This is best done the day before. That will give the berries time to develop a nice syrup.

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