Strawberries and Shortcake

Some food combinations seem so perfectly paired that the joining seems inevitable: bread and butter, cookies and milk, rice and soy sauce, biscuits and honey, strawberries and shortcake. Sure, shortcake could be enjoyed with raspberries, cherries, or plums, but nothing seems quite so deliciously right as Strawberry Shortcake.

As my hungry mind turns to memories of shortcakes past, I realize that the strawberries I remember most wistfully were local or homegrown varieties. The best strawberries I ever remember eating came from a particularly sumptuous patch of strawberries my folks grew in their 1960s-era Elkhart, Indiana, garden. But, since that patch has probably long ago been tilled under and sodded over, my attention turns to the present…. The tiny Moscow Mountain strawberries will soon be appearing in our Co-op’s produce aisle.

When shopping for strawberries, look for locally grown fruit. The big, firm supermarket strawberries of today’s mega-marts might look sweet and succulent, but they rarely deliver the flavor that their appearance seems to promise. Buy organic or local berries labeled “no spray.” Conventionally-grown strawberries are rated Number One on the list of produce most laden with pesticide residue.

Handle strawberries gently. Wash them quickly and carefully before you remove the green calyx (stem), so water doesn't get inside the fruit.

Both of the following recipes are from James Villas’ book Villas at Table. My favorite type of shortcake is the rich, pastry-type of cake. The first recipe fits this bill. The second recipe is a bit leaner.

Strawberry Scone Cake

3 cups unbleached flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
3/4 cup superfine sugar, divided
1/4 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
4 pints ripe fresh strawberries
3 tbsp. melted butter
2 cups clotted, double, or heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the pieces of butter, and work with the fingers till the mixture is crumbly. Add the eggs and vanilla, stirring/creaming the ingredients together if necessary.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and pat it gently with floured hands into a thick round about 9 inches in diameter. Place the round on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake about 30 minutes or until the scone is just golden.

While the scone is baking, wash and stem the strawberries, cut each in half, and place them in a large saucepan. Add the remaining 1/2-cup sugar and toss the berries well with a fork, crushing just until they begin to juice. Heat until just slightly warm.

Trim the edges of the hot scone until even. Carefully slice it in half horizontally with a sharp knife, and brush the soft surface of each half with melted butter. Position one half soft side up on a cake plate and spoon enough strawberries over the surface to cover. Gently place the other scone half on top, soft-side down, and spoon berries and juice over the top, allowing both to drip down the sides. Pour about one-half the cream over the top and serve immediately, cut in wedges with the remaining cream and any remaining strawberries in pitchers on the side.

Serves 6 to 8.

Strawberry Sponge Cake

6 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup cake flour, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 pints fresh, ripe strawberries, washed
2 cups heavy cream, whipped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with an electric mixer until very light, and gradually add 1 cup of the sugar and the vanilla, beating constantly until the mixture thickens. Gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, beating constantly until the batter is well blended.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until just stiff but not dry and gradually fold them into the batter.

Spoon the mixture into 2 lightly-greased 8-inch round cake pans and bake about 30 minutes or until golden and spongy. Transfer the cakes to a rack and let cool.

While the cakes are baking, pick out 12 large, unstemmed strawberries and set them aside. Stem the remaining berries, cut them in half, and place in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining 1/2-cup of sugar and toss the strawberries well with a fork, crushing them until they juice.

Position one cake on a cake plate and spoon half the crushed berries and juice over the surface. Gently place the other cake on top and spoon the remaining berries and juice over the surface, allowing both to drip down the sides. Spoon the whipped cream evenly over the top and decorate with the reserved berries. Serve in large wedges.

Serves 6

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