Recipes

I don't think I'm allowed to share school recipes with y'all, I'm sorry to say! They are all in metric weight anyway. But I would love to share some things I've been baking in my free time. This past weekend I made strawberry shortcakes using a recipe from Commander's Palace in New Orleans. The New Jersey strawberries are in season at the Farmer's Market and this past weekend was hot and summery, so this dessert fit the weekend perfectly.

One pastry tip--before cutting the butter into the flour, freeze the butter after you cube it. It makes all the difference!

Buttermilk Biscuits for the Shortcakes

* 2 cups all purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces and frozen
* 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon chilled buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375°F. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into large bowl. Add butter and cut in with pastry cutter or scraper until mixture resembles lentils. Gradually add buttermilk, tossing with fork until large moist clumps form. If dough is too crumbly, knead slightly until it forms a loose dough. Gather dough into ball. Divide into 6 pieces. Shape each piece into 3-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet, spacing evenly.

Bake biscuits until tester inserted into center comes out dry, about 20 minutes (biscuits will be pale). Transfer biscuits to rack and cool to lukewarm. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cool. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and store at room temperature. Before serving, you can rewarm in 350°F oven for 5 minutes.)

Rest of the Shortcake

* 2 baskets strawberries, hulled, halved or quartered if very large
* 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons raspberry preserves
* 1 cup chilled heavy cream
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine strawberries, 1/2 cup sugar and raspberry preserves in large bowl; toss to coat. Let stand until syrup forms, tossing occasionally, about 1 hour.

Beat chilled cream, vanilla extract and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in another large bowl until stiff peaks form.

Cut Buttermilk Biscuits in half. Place each biscuit bottom in shallow bowl. Top each generously with strawberries and whipped cream. Cover fruit and cream with biscuit tops. Dust biscuits with powdered sugar and serve.