Strawberry Shortcake

Ripe strawberries - does it get any better? I think not, especially when you get to eat them right off the vine. The fresh taste is nothing compared to the store-bought strawberries I’m used to. Chicago’s produce is lacking – even the half-way decent looking berries at Jewel or Dominick’s lack flavor and only last a day or two before molding. I miss the berries of my youth! As a kid, my parents, sister and I would go strawberry picking. When you are 12 you don’t notice the back-breaking labor associated with scavengering for the juiciest berries. But man, it’s work! We’d stay out for hours and cart home bushels of them. Looking back, I have no idea how we managed to consume all of them.

Last weekend I had the chance to get the freshest berries I’ve seen in a long time. My boyfriend’s parents have a patch in their backyard, and it just so happened that some were ripe and ready to pick while we were there (thanks to his dad who was willing to go out in the pouring rain to pick them!!!) Heading back to Chicago with homegrown strawberries meant one thing to me: strawberry shortcake…

Shortcake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons separated
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, very cold
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set them aside.

Measure the dry ingredients into a large bowl (excluding the 2 extra tablespoons of sugar). Using a pastry blender, cut the stick of very cold butter into the dry ingredients until small crumbs form. Next, whisk the egg and sour cream together in a small bowl. Once combined, add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients and combine it thoroughly with a spoon. You may need to use your hands to get the mixture to form a rough ball of dough.

Lightly flour a flat work surface (I use a large cutting board). Using your fingertips spread the dough out until it is approximately ¾” think. Using a biscuit cutter or a drinking glass, cut the dough into uniform circles and place them on the parchment lined sheets. If you are using a drinking glass, it’s helpful to flour the rim of the cup to keep the dough from sticking to the glass.

Sprinkle each biscuit with sugar before baking. Pop them in the oven for about 8-10 minutes or until they are golden brown on top. Allow them to cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare your berries:

Berries ‘n Syrup

1 pint strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar

Slice your berries (my berries were small so I left them whole) and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the sugar over the berries and mix until well incorporated. If you like your berries sweeter or with more syrup, add an additional tablespoon of sugar. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the berries to sit for a few minutes. The longer the berries sit, the more the sugar draws out the juices and the more syrup you’ll have.

To assemble:
Place a shortcake on a plate and top with the berry syrup, whipped cream, and another shortcake. (I never claimed this was rocket science). Enjoy!