Strawberry Shortcakes

Total Time: 44 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 14 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 pints strawberries, hulled and halved if large
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons well-chilled butter, cut into 6 pieces
• 2/3-1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• whipping cream
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 cups well-chilled heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Recipe

• 1 combine berries, sugar and orange zest in medium bowl.
• 2 crush some of berries into sugar using back of wooden spoon.
• 3 let stand at room temperature until syrup forms, stirring occasionally, at least 1 hour.
• 4 chill while making biscuits.
• 5 for biscuits: preheat oven to 425°f.
• 6 butter baking sheet.
• 7 sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
• 8 rub in butter with fingertips until coarse meal forms.
• 9 mix 2/3s cup buttermilk, yolk, ½ tsp vanilla and almond extract in measuring cup.
• 10 dribble buttermilk into flour mixture, working it all the time, until a sticky dough forms.
• 11 transfer dough to floured sheet of wax paper.
• 12 using floured fingertips, gently pat dough out to thickness of ¾ inch.
• 13 cut into 3 – 3 ¼ inch rounds, using fluted cutter or glass.
• 14 transfer to prepared sheet.
• 15 gather dough scraps and reroll.
• 16 cut additional biscuits.
• 17 brush tops with cream.
• 18 top with almonds and sprinkle with 1 tbsp sugar.
• 19 bake until biscuits are light golden-brown, 11-14 minutes.
• 20 cool on rack 3 minutes.
• 21 whip 1 ¼ cups cream with icing sugar and vanilla to soft peaks.
• 22 halve warm biscuits horizontally, using serrated knife.
• 23 arrange bottoms on plates.
• 24 ladle berries and juices over.
• 25 spoon some of whipped cream over.
• 26 replace tops and serve immediately, passing remaining cream separately.