Strawberry Shortcake

So, if any of you were to spend a day in our home - okay, okay, maybe even just like thirty minutes in our home - you'd probably discover that this little sidekick of mine loooooves Strawberry Shortcake.  She is in love. In fact, she just walked up behind me pointing to the picture asking, "What's that?!  Straw-ba-bwa?"  L  O  V  E, I tell you.  She loves all versions - free episodes on netflix, iPad apps, soundtracks.  

It's kind of a 20 month old obsession, and by "kind of," I mean definitely.  

Well, I can't blame her too much, because I, too, love Strawberry Shortcake.  

Just a different version--the FOOD version, of course! 

And with strawberries coming back in season, there is no better dessert!

 I hope you find this equally as delicious and just so sweet - just like its name!  :)

Strawberry Shortcake

For the Dough

1 3/4 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1/4 cup Sugar

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, cold and sliced into tiny cubes

1 large  Egg

1/3 cup Heavy Cream

2 Tbsp Turbinado Sugar (aka Sugar in the Raw)

For the Filling

4 cups Strawberries, sliced in half or quarters

3 Tbsp Sugar

For the Whipped Cream

1 cup Heavy Cream

2 Tbsp Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a half-sheet pan or rimless baking sheet with parchment paper.

Dough Preparation
Using a food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Pulse 2-3 times to mix.  Add the butter and pulse 3 to 4 times, or just until the mixture forms large, coarse crumbs the size of small peas.
In a bowl, whisk together the egg and 1/3 cup cream until blended.
Pour over dry ingredients and pulse 2 or 3 times just until moistened. (The dough should be soft!  If needed, add additional cream until the dough is soft.)
Spoon out dough onto the prepared pan in mounds of about 3 inches (a big scoop full), spacing each one about 1 inch apart.  They should look like mounds, not formed balls.
Sprinkle tops of mounds of dough with Turbinado Sugar.
Bake until lightly browned, 12-15 minutes.

Filling Preparation
While the shortcakes are baking, prepare the filling.  In a bowl, using a fork, crush one cup of berries.  Add the remaining berries and the sugar, mix well, and refrigerate until shortcakes are done!

Whipped Cream Preparation
After you have prepped the berries, make the whipped cream.  In a large bowl, combine the cream, sugar and vanilla.  Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment or a hand mixer, beat on medium-high speed until a medium peak forms.  Makes about 2 cups.

To serve, cut shortcakes in half, placing the bottom half onto a place or bowl.  Add strawberries and whipped cream.  Place other half of shortcake on top!

Enjoy!

{ P.S. We like our shortcakes warm, but you can let them cool before you eat them.  Also, you'll probably have some leftovers, so just put them in an air tight container and refrigerate them until the next day.  They are good plain as a treat, too! }

*This post inspired 100% by E L E A N O R*

Recipe courtesty of Williams-Sonoma, "Essentials of Baking" 2003