Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

BUTTERMILK BISCUIT DOUGH
PLACE BERRIES in a colander and quickly rinse under running cold water.
Pour on a tray lined with several thicknesses of paper towel to drain for 5
minutes. Hull the strawberries with the point of a stainless-steel paring
knife, then slice into a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice, then
set aside, covered, at room temperature for an hour or two. Whip the cream
(add a couple tablespoons of sugar, if you like) until it holds a soft
peak. Cover and refrigerate. Preheat the oven to 450F; set rack in middle
level. Prepare biscuit dough. For a large shortcake, pat the dough into a
9-inch disk on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. For individual shortcakes,
pat dough into a 6-by-12- inch rectangle and cut into eight 3-inch biscuits
with a sharp, floured knife. Transfer to a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Paint tops with buttermilk. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes,
until well risen and golden. Check the center of the large shortcake with a
toothpick to make sure it is baked through: If the pick emerges with dough
still clinging to it, lower temperature to 350F and bake another 5 minutes.
Slide the large shortcake onto a platter immediately after it is baked. Use
a sharp, serrated knife to slice through the middle, making two layers.
Slide the edge of a cookie sheet between the two layers and lift the top
layer off. Butter the bottom layer and pour all but 1/2 cup of the
sweetened berries on. Slide the top back on and pour the remaining berries
over the top. Split the small shortcakes in the same way and place the
bottoms on individual dessert plates. Butter them and top with about 1/3
cup of the berry mixture. Replace tops and pour a tablespoon or so of the
remaining berries over the top. Serve immediately. Pass the cream in a bowl
for the guests to help themselves. BUTTERMILK BISCUIT DOUGH: COMBINE THE
FLOURS, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Rub
in the butter by hand or with a pastry blender until the mixture is mealy.
Stir in 3/4 cup of the buttermilk with a fork and continue stirring gently
until the dough begins to hold together. (If the dough is dry, add more
buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Sprinkle the work surface generously
with flour and scrape the dough onto it. Fold the dough over on itself two
or three times. Use the dough immediately for shortcakes, following the
instructions above. Use this recipe to make a large shortcake or eight
small ones. This same dough is used as the topping in cobbler recipes.
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

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