Classic Strawberry Shortcakes Recipe | Sur La Table (2024)

• ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup plus 5 tablespoons sugar
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 cups (2½ pounds) fresh ripe strawberries
• 1½ cups heavy whipping cream

These big, pillowy shortcakes are tender and slightly sweet. Split in halfand filled with juicy strawberries, they are topped with softly whippedcream for a gorgeous dessert. Ripe, flavorful strawberries are essentialfor this dessert, as is sugaring them beforehand to let the natural juicescome out.

Cut the cold butter into small cubes and refrigerate for 10minutes. Put the milk in a cup, add 1 tablespoon of vanilla toit, and refrigerate it as well. Line a baking sheet with parchmentpaper.

Put the flour, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a largebowl and whisk until blended. Scatter the cold butter piecesover the dry ingredients and toss them with your hands untilthey are coated. With a pastry blender, cut the butter intosmaller and smaller pieces. If chunks of cold butter get stuck inthe wires of the pastry blender, use a table knife to push themoff, then continue cutting. You are done when the biggest butterpieces are not larger than green peas. Some will be muchsmaller, and that's fine.

Pour the chilled vanilla milk into the flour and butter, thenstir with the fork 12 to 15 times, until it holds together in big,shaggy clumps. Sprinkle your work surface with a little flour.Turn the clumpy mass out onto the flourysurface and knead it gently 4 to 8 times, untilit comes together into a dough. Don't kneadtoo long or the shortbread will be tough.

Pat the dough into an 8 by 4-inch rectangle.Be sure it is the same thickness everywhere.Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, and theninto quarters crosswise. You should have 8pieces, each about 2 inches square. Brushoff any extra flour from the top and bottomof the shortcakes and place them severalinches apart on the prepared baking sheet.Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Just after you slipthe shortcakes into the refrigerator, positionan oven rack in the center of the oven andpreheat the oven to 425°F.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until goldenbrown on top and firm to the touch. Transferthe pan to a cooling rack. Let the shortcakescool completely.

Place the berries in a sieve or colander undercool running water. Look through them anddiscard any moldy berries. Drain well andpat dry with paper towels. Remove the leafygreen tops from the strawberries. Cut thestrawberries into ¼-inch-thick slices. Putthe berries in a medium bowl, sprinkle with3 tablespoons of sugar, and toss. Stir everyfew minutes. As the berries sit, the sugar willdraw out some of their juices and make atasty syrup in the bottom of the bowl.

Put the cream, the remaining 2 tablespoonssugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanillain a medium bowl. Whip the cream until itholds medium-firm peaks when the whiskor beaters are lifted. It should look silky. Ifyou whip the cream too long and it looksgrainy, lumpy, or curdled, pour in 3 or 4 moretablespoons cream and stir in gently (nomore whipping). It should smooth out nicely.Cover until needed.

Cut each shortcake in half. Put one of thebottoms, cut side up, on each plate. Spoonthe strawberries and syrup over the bottoms,dividing evenly. Place a large spoonful ofwhipped cream on top of each mound ofstrawberries. Set the biscuit tops, cut sidesdown, on the cream. Serve right away.

• ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup plus 5 tablespoons sugar
• 2½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 cups (2½ pounds) fresh ripe strawberries
• 1½ cups heavy whipping cream

These big, pillowy shortcakes are tender and slightly sweet. Split in halfand filled with juicy strawberries, they are topped with softly whippedcream for a gorgeous dessert. Ripe, flavorful strawberries are essentialfor this dessert, as is sugaring them beforehand to let the natural juicescome out.

Cut the cold butter into small cubes and refrigerate for 10minutes. Put the milk in a cup, add 1 tablespoon of vanilla toit, and refrigerate it as well. Line a baking sheet with parchmentpaper.

Put the flour, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a largebowl and whisk until blended. Scatter the cold butter piecesover the dry ingredients and toss them with your hands untilthey are coated. With a pastry blender, cut the butter intosmaller and smaller pieces. If chunks of cold butter get stuck inthe wires of the pastry blender, use a table knife to push themoff, then continue cutting. You are done when the biggest butterpieces are not larger than green peas. Some will be muchsmaller, and that's fine.

Pour the chilled vanilla milk into the flour and butter, thenstir with the fork 12 to 15 times, until it holds together in big,shaggy clumps. Sprinkle your work surface with a little flour.Turn the clumpy mass out onto the flourysurface and knead it gently 4 to 8 times, untilit comes together into a dough. Don't kneadtoo long or the shortbread will be tough.

Pat the dough into an 8 by 4-inch rectangle.Be sure it is the same thickness everywhere.Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, and theninto quarters crosswise. You should have 8pieces, each about 2 inches square. Brushoff any extra flour from the top and bottomof the shortcakes and place them severalinches apart on the prepared baking sheet.Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Just after you slipthe shortcakes into the refrigerator, positionan oven rack in the center of the oven andpreheat the oven to 425°F.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until goldenbrown on top and firm to the touch. Transferthe pan to a cooling rack. Let the shortcakescool completely.

Place the berries in a sieve or colander undercool running water. Look through them anddiscard any moldy berries. Drain well andpat dry with paper towels. Remove the leafygreen tops from the strawberries. Cut thestrawberries into ¼-inch-thick slices. Putthe berries in a medium bowl, sprinkle with3 tablespoons of sugar, and toss. Stir everyfew minutes. As the berries sit, the sugar willdraw out some of their juices and make atasty syrup in the bottom of the bowl.

Put the cream, the remaining 2 tablespoonssugar, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanillain a medium bowl. Whip the cream until itholds medium-firm peaks when the whiskor beaters are lifted. It should look silky. Ifyou whip the cream too long and it looksgrainy, lumpy, or curdled, pour in 3 or 4 moretablespoons cream and stir in gently (nomore whipping). It should smooth out nicely.Cover until needed.

Cut each shortcake in half. Put one of thebottoms, cut side up, on each plate. Spoonthe strawberries and syrup over the bottoms,dividing evenly. Place a large spoonful ofwhipped cream on top of each mound ofstrawberries. Set the biscuit tops, cut sidesdown, on the cream. Serve right away.