Favorite Summertime Dessert

Like many others, I have a go-to cookbook - it is just that mine is a cookbook of decadent desserts.  It might be better for my health if my go-to cookbook was "Healthy Meals in Under 30 minutes," but I love the recipes in Nigella Lawson's "How to Be a Domestic Goddess."  I have not had a bad dessert from this book. 

Tonight I made Strawberry Shortcakes, which is one of my favorite summertime desserts, and so I am sharing the recipe.

For the Shortcakes:
2 cups + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
5 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, frozen
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup light cream (or half and half)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Tools:
baking sheet - greased or lined with parchment paper
2 1/2 inch round cutter

Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and 3 Tbsp of the sugar in a bowl.  Grate the butter into these dry ingredients and use your fingers to finish crumbling the butter into the flour.  Whisk the egg into the cream, and then pour it into the flour mixture a little at a time and mixing as you go.  Add the eggy cream until the dough comes together.

Gently roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is about 3/4 of an inch thick.  Cut out rounds - you should end up with 8 in all.  You will need to cut some out, then put the dough back together and roll it out again.  Place the shortcakes on the cookie sheet about an inch apart, then brush the tops with egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbsp of sugar.   These can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours.

These bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes (until the tops are golden brown).  You will want to let them cook for 10-15 minutes before you put the toppings on them.

For the filling:
16 - 20 oz of Strawberries
2 Tbsp sugar
A few drops of balsamic vinegar
1 - 2 cups of heavy cream (I like a lot of whipped cream on my dessert)

Take about 1/3 of the strawberries, remove the tops, and then crush with 1 Tbsp sugar and balsamic vinegar.  I use a potato masher, but a fork works as well.  Quarter the rest of the strawberries and then mix with the crushed strawberries.  Whip the heavy cream with the remaining sugar.


To put it all together:
Halve the shortcakes.  Put strawberry filling on the bottom, add whipped cream, and then put the top back on.  These are best when served still warm.

Enjoy!