Description
This heritage-style dessert features sturdy, buttery buttermilk biscuits designed to soak up the syrupy juices of fresh, lemon-zested strawberries. Topped with soft-peaked whipped cream, it is a nostalgic summer staple that celebrates the balance of salty crust and sweet fruit.
Ingredients
- 280 grams (2 cups) All-Purpose Flour
- 30 grams (2 tablespoons) Granulated Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- 113 grams (1/2 cup) Chilled Salted Butter
- 240 grams (1 cup) Whole Buttermilk
- 450 grams (1 pound) Fresh Strawberries
- 73 grams (1/3 cup) Turbinado Sugar
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tablespoon Sugar (for cream)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 Celsius).
- In a wide bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt until light and evenly blended.
- Cut the chilled salted butter into small cubes and work them into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or fingertips until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces.
- Make a well in the center, pour in the cold buttermilk, and use a fork to gently toss until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface, pat it to a one-inch thickness, and cut out rounds using a floured biscuit cutter without twisting.
- Place the rounds on a baking sheet, brush the tops with a little extra buttermilk, and bake for 18 to 22 minutes until golden and high.
- While the biscuits bake, slice the strawberries into a bowl and toss with turbinado sugar and lemon zest; let them macerate at room temperature to create a syrup.
- In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream with one tablespoon of sugar and additional lemon zest until soft, billowing peaks form.
- Split the warm biscuits in half and layer them generously with the strawberries, their syrup, and a dollop of lemon-scented whipped cream.
Notes
For maximum flakiness, ensure your butter and buttermilk are extremely cold when they hit the flour. When cutting out the biscuits, pressing the cutter straight down instead of twisting ensures the layers remain open, allowing the shortcake to rise to its full, airy potential.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American