Strawberries 'n Cream Shortcake

By Christy Rost

Sweetened strawberries and melt-in-your-mouth heart-shaped biscuits combine for this all-American summertime dessert.

Ingredients:

2		cups flour
1/3		cup sugar
2 ½		teaspoons baking powder
½		teaspoon salt
6		teaspoons cold unsalted butter
¾		cup heavy cream
3		tablespoons milk
1		teaspoon vanilla
1		egg
1		tablespoon water
2		tablespoons granulated or sparkling sugar
1		quart strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
1-2		tablespoons sugar
1		cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; set aside. Slice cold butter into 6 pieces; cut into flour mixture with a pastry blender until butter is pea-size.

In a glass measuring cup, stir together the cream, milk and vanilla. Pour all at once into the flour mixture and stir until pastry comes together. Do not overmix.

Form dough into a large round and place on a floured pastry cloth. Roll pastry to 1/ 2-inch thickness; cut with a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water. Brush tops of biscuits with egg wash and sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes, or until tops of biscuits are golden brown. Remove hot biscuits to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, stir together strawberries and sugar. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to serve. To serve, split biscuits with a sharp knife. Place lower biscuits on dessert plates and top with strawberries and whipped cream. Top with upper biscuits, placed at an angle, and serve.

Recipe makes approximately 12 shortcakes.

**Round or star-shaped biscuit cutters may be substituted for the heart-shaped cutters.