The Kitchn: How to make the easiest strawberry shortcake
Homemade strawberry shortcakes are the very best way to showcase freshly picked, super-juicy spring berries. This simple recipe is quick to whip together and lets the naturally sweet strawberries shine.
Why make this strawberry shortcake?
It boasts the best, easiest biscuits. The drop biscuits used in this recipe let you skip the kneading, cutting and re-rolling often found in shortcake recipes. Instead, you'll stir together the dough with a fork and your fingers, then scoop mounds onto a baking sheet -- taking all of 5 minutes.
It makes smart use of your ingredients. Lemon zest flavors the biscuits, while the juice is used to macerate the berries (and balances their natural sweetness). Heavy cream is used for whipped cream and stirred into the biscuit dough to make them ultra-tender. Granulated sugar draws the juices out of the strawberries, and sweetens the biscuits and cream.
What's the best "shortcake" for strawberry shortcake?
"Short" is an English word meaning to make crisp with fat (such as butter or lard). While shortcakes these days take on many forms -- from those yellow sponge-y store-bought rounds to fluffy cake-like layers -- I prefer crisp and buttery biscuit-like shortcakes (which, it seems, may be the most traditional too).
The lemon-scented drop biscuits featured in this recipe are super tender on the inside (thanks to the heavy cream), and crisp and golden on the outside (thanks to the small pieces of cold butter in the dough). They're a far cry from the dry, bland shortcakes you might be used to -- and they pair perfectly with the super-juicy strawberries and fluffy, barely sweet whipped cream.
Can I macerate the berries in advance?
Yes! Macerated strawberries can be covered and refrigerated up to 24 hours before serving. The longer they sit, the more their flavors will concentrate and intensify. They'll also get softer and release more juices, so you may want to use a slotted spoon to scoop the berries onto the biscuits to avoid a soggy shortcake. Macerated strawberries are also delicious spooned over ice cream or stirred into yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast.
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