This was amazing – omitted cream of tartar based on reviews and the cakes were fabulous. Served with strawberries and blueberries that were marinated in sugar and balsalmic, and did homemade whipped cream with a little sugar and almond extract. Divine dessert and the leftover cakes were great for breakfast with jam and butter the next morning!
I needed a quick recipe for shortcake for a last minute dessert during the Memorial Day holiday. I read some of the reviews and decided to go with the opinion of those who did not use cream of tarter, and only 3 teaspoons of baking powder. As I mixed in the egg and cream, I decided to add a bit of vanilla to the dough, using one teaspoon. I liked how it came out. The shortcakes were good enough to eat alone, without any fruit or whipped topping!
YUMMY!!!!! I have always liked strawberry shortcakes on biscuits, but my husband doesn’t agree; I figured I’d give these a whirl to see how they worked for the both of us. Amazing! I halved the recipe but still used one whole egg. Only used a pinch of cream of tartar and added vanilla extract and a few drops of almond extract.
It came out like a biscuit/cake/pie crust hybrid; Flaky yet moist and slightly crumbly with a hint of sweetness. I rolled the dough into balls and flattened them but they spread a little too much during baking. I think I will try making them in Texas muffin tins next time to keep the size.
Also, I slice the strawberries and stir with the sugar many hours in advance to encourage the sugar to draw out the liquid in the berries, creating a light syrup. And since the recipe calls for heavy cream, whip some up to add fresh whipped cream to the fresh shortcakes!
Absolutely the best shortcake we have tried from this site. Perfect in everyone’s opinion. The only change I made was to back down the cream of tartar to about 1/8 teaspoon. Texture reminds me of a very tender shortbread/biscuit combo that is not overly sweet and really lets the fresh berries shine. Still delicious the next day. Cant wait to try it with various fresh berries/fruit this summer.
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 egg, beaten
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
3 tablespoons white sugar.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and cream of tartar. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives. Stir in cream and egg. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2 minutes. Press into a half-inch thick sheet. Cut into squares. Place on baking sheets.
Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, or until golden. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons sugar over sliced berries.
Let shortcakes cool before splitting and filling with sugared berries.
Source:allrecipes.com
