Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake with Homemade Biscuits
An heirloom strawberry shortcake recipe, made the old-fashioned way; flaky homemade biscuits, real whipped cream, and fresh strawberries.
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Ingredients
Strawberries
- 6 cups strawberries quartered
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar or organic cane sugar works well too
Biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar or organic cane sugar works well too
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons very cold unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup whole milk buttermilk or 2% milk optional
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Strawberries
- Stir sliced strawberries and granulated sugar together in a mixing bowl. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator. (Also, place butter in freezer to chill for about 10 minutes or so).
Biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Add parchment paper to a baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add chilled butter into flour mixture and combine using a pastry cutter or fork. Work together until butter is incorporated, making pea-sized pieces of butter in the dough. (Be careful not to overmix).
- Pour whole milk into dough bowl and stir gently with a wooden spoon until just combined. The dough should look slightly shaggy.
- Transfer the dough to a well-floured surface. Using your floured hands or floured rolling pin, flatten dough until about 3/4 inch thick. Fold one side of dough into the center and then the other side. Flatten dough about 3/4 again and repeat folds.
- Flatten the dough about 1 inch thick. Dust a 2 3/4 inch biscuit cutter with flour and cut straight down into the dough (don't twist). Place biscuits less than 1/2 inch apart on a prepared baking sheet or 10-inch cast iron skillet.
- Gather dough scraps, gently press them together, and cut additional biscuits until you have 10-12 biscuits.
- Bake at 425°F for 12 minutes, or until the tops are just beginning to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before assembling to avoid melting whipped topping.
Whipped Topping
- Add cold heavy whipping cream, maple syrup, and pure vanilla extract in mixing bowl. Whip together using a stand mixer or hand mixer with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, and forming soft peaks, about 3 minutes.
Assemble and Serve
- Slice shortcake biscuits in half and layer whipped cream and strawberries in between biscuit layers and on top. Enjoy.
Notes
- Biscuits can be baked a few hours ahead. Let them cool completely, then warm gently before assembling.
- The strawberries are best made the same day, since they lose their texture the longer they sit in sugar.
- This recipe doubles easily for a crowd — macerate the strawberries in two batches so they don't get crowded and turn mushy.
- Out of maple syrup? Two tablespoons of powdered sugar works as a substitute.
Servings: 10