Buttermilk strawberry shortcake

Name: Buttermilk strawberry shortcake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 37 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: For the strawberries and cream; 200g ripe strawberries, hulled, sliced or quartered if large; 1 tbsp caster sugar; 120ml chilled double cream; For the shortcakes; 125g plain flour, plus extra to dust; 1½ tsp baking powder; 2 tbsp caster sugar; ⅛ tsp fine sea salt; 60g cold unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra to grease; 1 medium free-range egg, beaten; 2 tbsp buttermilk (or milk with a squeeze of lemon in it); You’ll also need…; 7cm round or fluted cutter; baking sheet, greased and lined with non-stick baking paper

Easy
June 2019

Easy
June 2019

Test kitchen approved

Serves 4
Hands-on time 25 min, oven time 10-12 min

Shortcakes are a mix between a shortbread biscuit and a classic scone, so you get the butteriness of one and the crumbliness of the other. Combine with strawberries and cream and you have yourself an unbeatable afternoon tea treat.

Or, how about this summery shortbread recipe for afternoon tea: lemon and strawberry viennese whirls?

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 465kcals
Fat: 30.5g (18.4g saturated)
Protein: 6.2g
Carbohydrates: 39.7g (15.3g sugars)
Fibre: 3.1g
Salt: 0.7g

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 465kcals
Fat: 30.5g (18.4g saturated)
Protein: 6.2g
Carbohydrates: 39.7g (15.3g sugars)
Fibre: 3.1g
Salt: 0.7g

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Ingredients

For the strawberries and cream

200g ripe strawberries, hulled, sliced or quartered if large
1 tbsp caster sugar
120ml chilled double cream

For the shortcakes

125g plain flour, plus extra to dust
1½ tsp baking powder
2 tbsp caster sugar
⅛ tsp fine sea salt
60g cold unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra to grease
1 medium free-range egg, beaten
2 tbsp buttermilk (or milk with a squeeze of lemon in it)

You’ll also need…

7cm round or fluted cutter; baking sheet, greased and lined with non-stick baking paper

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 6. Put the strawberries in a bowl and stir in half the 1 tbsp caster sugar. Set aside to macerate for about 15 minutes or so until the berries have softened slightly and released a little of their juice.
Next, make the shortcakes. Sift the flour and baking powder into a medium mixing bowl. Add the 2 tbsp sugar and the salt. Cut in the cold butter with a round-bladed knife until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Lightly stir in the egg and buttermilk/milk, ensuring you don’t overwork the dough. Roll or pat out the dough on a floured board to about 2cm thick. Flour the cutter and cut out 4 circles. Gently gather together the leftover dough and pat out again, if necessary, to make the final shortcake.
Transfer the shortcakes to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the oven, then transfer to a cooling rack.
Whip the double cream with the remaining sugar in a mixing bowl until it forms very soft, floppy peaks. Cut the shortcakes in half and top with a generous dollop of the cream, a pile of strawberries and a spoonful of the strawberry juices. Top with the other half of the shortcake and eat straightaway.