I’m not a fan of angel food cake or sponge cake for shortcakes; I prefer the texture and bite of biscuits, which I like to shape into small squares instead of large rounds. And I love gently roasted fruit. The long, slow roasting eliminates a lot of the water content of the fruit, concentrating the flavor and opening it up. The tangy crème fraîche in the whipped cream rounds out the flavors on the plate.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6 on it¿s own or 12 as part of fourplay
Ingredients
For the Shortcakes
To Serve
Preparation
For the Shortcakes
Step 1
Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the shortening and pulse until the texture resembles fine crumbs. Whisk the milk and beaten egg together and pour through the feed tube, hitting the pulse button until the dough comes together evenly.
Step 2
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a square. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
To Serve
Step 3
Set the oven rack in the top position. Heat the oven to 450°F or 425°F on convection. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment.
Step 4
Flour the work surface lightly and roll the dough into a square about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into twenty-four 1 1/2-inch squares and place on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with pink salt. Bake until risen and lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
Step 5
Serve the shortcakes warm, with the strawberries and vanilla whipped cream, and drizzle some of the berry maceration liquid on the plate.
make it simpler
Step 6
You could replace the biscuits with refrigerator biscuits. Brush them with an egg wash (an egg and an egg yolk beaten together) and sprinkle them with sugar and salt before baking. Fresh berries or stone fruit is another option in place of the roasted berries.
