Happy 4th of July Weekend!

One of my all-time favorite desserts is Strawberry Shortcake. And I'm talking about the REAL kind, with the buiscuity-shortbread goodness (none of that prepackaged sponge cake-yuck) and FRESH strawberries. This is one dessert I will be making this weekend to celebrate the 4th. And of course Martha Stewart had about 50 different ways to make it....here are my top three:

1) The Original Recipe

{from here}

To prevent the baked biscuits from crumbling when you cut them, wait until they are cool, and use a serrated bread knife to slice them in half very gently.

Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour

Serves 8

• 1 3/4 pounds (6 cups) strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered
• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons cold (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss strawberries with 3/4 cup sugar; let sit to bring out their juices.
2. In a food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, 1/2 cup sugar, and the salt until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal but with some pea-size bits of butter remaining, 10 to 12 times. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup cream and the eggs; pour over flour mixture, and pulse until some large clumps begin to form, 25 to 30 times.
3. Using a half-cup measuring cup, gently pack dough, invert, and then tap out onto a baking sheet. Repeat to form 8 biscuits. Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes.
4. Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream and 2 tablespoons sugar with the vanilla until soft peaks form.
5. Slice biscuits in half horizontally. Spoon strawberries and their liquid over bottom halves. Spoon whipped cream on strawberries, and replace top halves of biscuits.

2) Star-Spangled Shortcake

{from here}

Serves 10 to 12

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 teaspoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3 1/2 cups plus 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 large egg
• 1 pint raspberries
• 1 pint blueberries
• 2 pints strawberries, cut in half or quarters, depending on size
• 1/2 pint red currants (optional)
• Confectioners' sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter; use a pastry cutter or two knives to incorporate butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Blend 2 cups heavy cream into flour mixture using a fork. Turn out onto a clean work surface; press away from you with the heel of your hand just to combine dough. Add 1 tablespoon cream if the dough is too dry to combine.
3. Prepare egg wash: Place egg and 2 tablespoons cream in a small bowl, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
4. Press dough into a 7-by-10-inch rectangle, 1 inch thick. Use a 3 1/2-inch star cutter to cut out six biscuits. Press three of the stars to flatten slightly. Form into a ring on a parchment-lined baking sheet, alternating flattened stars with unflattened stars, using egg wash to join them along common edge. Gather remaining dough; cut out four more stars for additional servings, if desired. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove dough from refrigerator. Brush top of star ring and individual stars with egg wash, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar.
5. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees; continue baking until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

   

6. Combine raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, red currants (if using), and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl, and toss to combine. Allow berries to macerate for at least 30 minutes, until very juicy. Whip remaining 1 1/2 cups cream to soft peaks.
7. Use a serrated knife to cut star ring in half crosswise. Cut the four extra stars as well. Use two large offset spatulas to carefully lift the top half of the ring, and set aside, leaving the spatulas in place. Set aside tops of stars as well. Transfer bottom of ring to a serving platter. Transfer bottoms of stars to plates, if desired. Spoon macerated berries, juices, and whipped cream over star ring and additional stars. Place the tops on the star ring and stars using the spatulas, and dust with confectioners' sugar, if using. Serve immediately.

   

   

3) Summer Shortcake

{from here}

Serves 12 to 15

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 8 ounces cold cream cheese, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, plus more for brushing
• Raw sugar or fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling
• 2 pints blueberries
• 2 pints strawberries, hulled (small berries left whole, large berries halved lengthwise)
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 cups (1 pint) heavy cream

Directions

1. Make the biscuits: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Add butter, and pulse until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add cream cheese, and pulse again until largest pieces are the size of peas. Add buttermilk, and pulse until dough comes together. Transfer to a bowl, and gently knead into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest in the refrigerator at least 1 hour (or overnight).
2. Divide dough in half. Working with one portion at a time on a lightly floured work surface, pat into a disk, then roll into a 10-inch round. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. Brush biscuits with buttermilk. Generously sprinkle raw or sanding sugar over tops and sides. Brush off sugar from parchment. Bake until dough has risen slightly and is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes (if bottoms brown too quickly, reduce temperature to 400 degrees). Leave biscuits on sheets. Using a 2 1/2-inch star cutter, cut out (but do not remove) 7 stars from one biscuit while it is still warm. Let cool.

   

4. Using a paring knife, carefully remove star shapes. Reserve for snacking or another use. (Biscuits can be made up to 8 hours ahead; store on wire racks, and cover loosely with plastic wrap.)
5. Make the filling: Combine blueberries, strawberries, and 2 tablespoons sugar, and let macerate until juicy, 10 minutes.
6. Just before serving, beat cream to medium peaks with remaining tablespoon sugar and the vanilla.
7. Assemble the cake: Place uncut biscuit on a large plate. Spoon half the berries and their juices on top of biscuit, then spread the whipped cream over berries. Top with all but about 1/2 cup berries. (Make sure surface is even; it will support the top biscuit and prevent it from breaking.) Carefully place cutout biscuit on top. Fill star cutouts with reserved berries. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, uncovered, up to 3 hours.

   

Enjoy and Happy 4th of July!