❤️ Did you know that if you hit the HEART at the top or bottom of this post, it makes it easier for people to find this newsletter? (And makes my day!)
Messing with a classic recipe can feel a bit risky, even if the change is minor. Let us not forget what happened in 2022, when
deb perelman
cut a grilled cheese sandwich horizontally. The internet became unhinged.
Skkrt.1 As Gen Z would say. (I’ve been low-key2 learning to speak teenager lately.3)
But, I’m going to dance on the edge of danger here and suggest we make a minor adjustment to one of our most cherished American desserts: strawberry shortcake.
Namely, I think strongly believe that there should be ice cream in it.
It’s not traditional. An old-fashioned strawberry shortcake is made with biscuits, whipped cream and macerated berries. That’s it. If you search the internet, for the most part this is what you will find. But hear me out:
Warm shortcake biscuits.
Cool macerated strawberries.
Cold vanilla ice cream.
With whipped cream on top.
A mouthwatering combination of textures and temperatures, wouldn’t you agree? And with the sweetness of sun-kissed in-season strawberries, mashed with a touch of sugar? It’s too good to resist. Strawberry shortcake in the summer is quintessential for a reason.
Now I’m not saying there is anything wrong with classic strawberry shortcake. I’ll dig into one of those any time, any day.
I’m just saying ice cream makes it better.
And if you give it a try, I think you’ll agree.
Make homemade biscuits. You can of course use store-bought biscuits, but homemade shortcakes are incredibly easy to make. Therefore I’m going to be opinionated once again and advise you to make them from scratch. You can do it a day in advance if you like, but there is something to be said for warm biscuits.
Use in-season berries. Although we are fortunate enough in the U.S. to have strawberries available year round, let’s be real. Those autumn, winter and early spring berries can’t compare to the flavor and sweetness of in-season berries. If you can get them from your local farmers market even better.
Top with maple-vanilla whipped cream. I personally love making strawberry shortcake with maple-vanilla whipped cream, but I usually opt for Cabot whipped cream because it’s quicker. If I wanted to seriously impress though, I’d make the whipped cream.
Homemade ice cream. I enjoy making no-churn ice creams and if there is some bourbon vanilla ice cream in the freezer it is 100% going into strawberry shortcake. But a high-quality vanilla ice cream from the store works well too. Use your favorite!
Drizzle some strawberry sauce on top. Not necessary per say, since the macerated berries will produce a ruby-red syrup that checks just about every box. But if you like extra sauciness, as I do, a couple spoonfuls of strawberry sauce on top are just the thing. The sauce can be made in advance.
Watch How to Do It
If you’re new to making biscuits from scratch, check out my quick video below. It will show you how to make this strawberry shortcake recipe from start-to-finish.
The Sunny Side of Sweet is a reader-supported publication. I started writing on Substack so that I could share my best ideas with you, without needing to worry about algorithms, AI, or selling my soul to an ad company. To receive new recipes and support my work, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
I don’t recommend storing an assembled strawberry shortcake for later, but you can store the separate components:
Shortcake biscuits: Store on the counter in an airtight container for up to 2 days. You can also store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Macerated strawberries: You can store extra macerated berries in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
If you made whipped cream, use it up. Homemade whipped cream needs to be used immediately after it is made.
Enjoy friends!
More Strawberry Goodness
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
Macerated Berries
4 cups chopped fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar
Shortcake Biscuits
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tablespoons granulated white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
1 large egg
¾ cup half and half, plus 1 tablespoon more for brushing
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top
For serving
Vanilla Ice Cream
Whipped Cream (Cabot whipped cream or maple-vanilla whipped cream)
Strawberry sauce, optional
10-12 fresh strawberries, tops removed and thinly sliced
Instructions
Make the Macerated Strawberry Filling
Combine ingredients. In a large bowl, combine all the strawberries and and sugar.
Mash. With a potato masher, mash the berries until they are somewhat broken down but there are still some chunks.
Set aside. Allow the berry mixture to rest while you make the biscuits.
Make the Shortcake Biscuits
Prep your tools. Preheat your oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
Cut in the butter. Add the butter to the dry ingredients. Work it into the flour with your hands, pressing the butter and flour together in your fingers, until you have a mixture resembling coarse breadcrumbs.
Add the egg and 3/4 cups half and half. Mix with a spoon until a ball of dough forms.
Knead briefly. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, then knead 2-3 times with your hands, or until there aren't any dry bits and you have a cohesive ball of dough.
Shape the biscuits. Pat the dough into a circle and use a biscuit cutter to create 6 evenly sized biscuits. Usually I can cut 2-3 biscuits from the initial circle of dough, then I re-roll the dough scraps and cut more. The remaining scraps of dough are then rolled up into the last biscuit.
Brush with half and half, add sugar. Place the biscuits on your prepared baking sheet. With a pastry brush, top each biscuit with some half and half. Then finish with a sprinkle of sugar.
Bake. Bake for 20-24 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and cool completely on the baking tray.
Assemble and Serve
Slice the biscuits in half. Place the bottom of a biscuit on a serving plate.
Assemble the layers. Top with some of the macerated berries. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, then a layer of whipped cream. Add some fresh berries into the layers as desired. You can also drizzle strawberry sauce on the layers if you like.
Top with the remaining piece of shortcake. Add whipped cream on top of the shortcake and top with a few slices of strawberry. Drizzle more strawberry sauce on top of your shortcake, if desired.
Serve. Grab a spoon and dig in!
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends. That’s how I meet more food-loving folks and earn my living as a writer. :)
Share
1
Used as an interjection. Conveys the sound of tires screeching to a halt.
2
“Lowkey” means being subtle or keeping something on the down-low.
3
My son is not amused.
