It’s strawberry season – so short and so sweet! I bought two quarts of local strawberries over the weekend and *had* to make strawberry shortcake. I make my mom’s wonderful recipe which is very unique. Most people make strawberry shortcake like a biscuit or cake. Not my mom! Her main complaint with those types is that the cake or biscuit gets wet and soggy. So she devised a shortbread-like shortcake that is out of this world. It’s also amazingly simple to make. The strawberries sit on top and the “cake” stays crunchy, while absorbing much of the juice. The whipped cream is completely optional – this is so good you don’t need it, but I know the dessert isn’t complete for some people without it!
Mom’s Strawberry Shortcake
1 1/2 quarts strawberries
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar plus extra
1 tsp salt
12 tbsp butter, room temp
4 tsp grated lemon zest
2 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp cold water
Preheat the oven to 400. Combine butter, sugar and lemon zest (you can use a food processor or do it by hand). Add the 2 egg yolks, vanilla and water, then add dry ingredients. Press dough out onto a baking sheet covered in parchment until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Brush the top with egg white and sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake for 12 minutes until lightly brown.
Hull and slice the strawberries and mix with 4 tbsp sugar. If you want whipped cream, I always whip my cream then add in some vanilla and a few spoonfuls of powdered sugar to sweeten it.
Break the shortcake into pieces and serve with strawberries and whipped cream on top.
As another variation, sometimes if I am making this in the food processor, I add some chocolate chips, which get chopped up into tiny pieces and are a nice addition.
This recipe feed 4 strawberry shortcake pigs in my house, so it can definitely be used to feed at least 6 normal people in your house!
It’s strawberry season – so short and so sweet! I bought two quarts of local strawberries over the weekend and *had* to make strawberry shortcake. I make my mom’s wonderful recipe which is very unique. Most people make strawberry shortcake like a biscuit or cake. Not my mom! Her main complaint with those types is … Read more →
Perfecting Pru chose this. Loved this! I halved the recipe and mine baked in far less the time indicated, but it was very good. And that’s saying a lot because I like my mom’s shortcake, which is more like a shortbread. I served this with some whipped cream. Very yummy! The shortcake was crunchy on top and soft in the middle. Delicious! Local strawberries are coming this week. I may have to make this again!
