Shortcakes Abound!

Happy Wednesday my lovely readers! I hope you made it to the halfway point in the week without any big bumps in the road. Today I'm going to give you a few unique recipes to showcase the lovely idea of a strawberry shortcake...from classic to fancy!

If you prefer the classics...

Strawberry Shortcakes
Parade, Sheila Lukins, May 2008

Ingredients
Strawberries:

• 4 pints strawberries, lightly rinsed, hulled and halved
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 6 shortcakes (see recipe below), for serving
• 6 whole strawberries, for garnish

Shortcakes:

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoon heavy (whipping) cream

Directions

For the Shortcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet.
2. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
3. Add the butter. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, rub it into the dry ingredients until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Stir in the milk until a very soft dough is formed. Do not overwork.
4. Drop the dough in 6 equal portions onto the prepared baking sheet. Lightly pat the dough into rounds—3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter—and lightly brush the tops with the cream.
5. Bake the shortcakes in the center of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

For the Strawberries:

1. Place strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar, then gently toss with a rubber spatula. Let rest for 1 1/2 to 2 hours for juices to develop.
2. Just before serving, whip cream with 1 Tbsp sugar until it holds soft peaks.
3. To serve, slice off the top third of each shortcake. Place the bottoms on 6 dessert plates and top with 1/3 cup of the prepared berries and juice, plus a spoonful of whipped cream. Cover with the top. Spoon over more berries and juice, then dollop with whipped cream. Garnish each with a whole berry and drizzle with any remaining juice.

A little more kid-friendly...

Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Food & Wine, Grace Parisi

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

Frosting and Topping:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

• 2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

• Strawberry jam

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the sugar with the eggs and vanilla extract at medium-high speed until smooth and thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and oil and beat until incorporated, scraping the bottom and side of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and milk in 3 alternating batches, beating well between additions. Carefully pour the batter into the lined muffin tins, filling them about two-thirds full.
4. Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for 20 to 23 minutes, until springy and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the muffin tin, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the softened butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt and beat the mixture at low speed just until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth. Add the milk or heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
6. Mix the frosting with strawberry jam to taste. Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The unfrosted cupcakes can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. The white buttercream frosting can be refrigerated in an airtight plastic container for up to 2 days. Return to room temperature before using.

If you don't like strawberries...

Rhubarb Shortcakes 

Bon Appetit, Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer

Ingredients

Roasted Rhubarb

• 2 pounds rhubarb, trimmed, sliced 1-inch thick
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Biscuits and Assembly

• 1 cup cake flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour plus more for work surface
• 3 cups chilled heavy cream, divided
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Roasted Rhubarb

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine rhubarb, sugar, and wine in a medium baking dish or ovenproof skillet. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean and toss to combine.
   Roast until rhubarb is very tender and juices are syrupy, 30-40 minutes, depending on thickness of stalks. Let cool. Discard vanilla bean.

Biscuits and Assembly

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Whisk cake flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and 1 cup all-purpose flour in a medium bowl to combine. Add 1 1/2 cups cream; gently mix just until dough holds together.
2. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and form into a 9x6-inch rectangle about 1-inch thick. Cut dough in half length-wise, then cut crosswise 3 times to form 8 rectangular biscuits.
3. Arrange biscuits on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush tops and sides of biscuits with butter. Bake until golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool (biscuits can be served warm or at room temperature).
4. Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Split biscuits and brush cut sides with remaining melted butter. Fill biscuits with roasted rhubarb and serve with whipped cream.

DO AHEAD: Rhubarb filling can be made 5 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill. Reheat slightly before serving. Biscuits can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool completely and store airtight at room temperature.

For the sophisticated table setting...

Jacques Pepin's Favorite Pound Cake

Jacques Pepin

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter a 10-by-5-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with a strip of parchment paper that extends 2 inches past the short ends of the pan.
2. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar, vanilla and salt at medium speed until fluffy, 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 2 at a time, beating between additions. Beat in the milk. Sift the flour over the batter and whisk it in until smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface.
3. Bake the cake for 1 1/2 hours, until it is cracked down the center, golden on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then unmold the cake and let cool completely.

MAKE AHEAD The cake can be kept at room temperature, covered, for up to 3 days.

Lizzy Bee's twist....

Add your own berries - strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc. - and some whipped topping and elegantly decorate slices of the pound cake to serve and enjoy!

Happy baking!