Stacy Dermont, author of “The Hamptons Kitchen,” shares a recipe for Traditional Strawberry Shortcake
An excerpt from “The Hamptons Kitchen” by Hillary Davis and Stacy Dermont. Reproduced by permission of The Countryman Press, A Division of W.W. Norton & Company.
Climates change but strawberry shortcake remains a universal favorite.
When I moved to the Hamptons 20 years ago, it was risky to schedule a strawberry social in mid-June. Now local strawberries start to trickle into the South Fork farm stands right around Memorial Day.
In 2004, I volunteered to help prepare the main attraction at a strawberry social. I was shocked that the cook in charge used Bisquick mix to make the short cakes. In the place and time I’m from (North Otto, New York, in the 1980s), scratch cooking was part of the social contract. For instance, my mom’s potato salad and Mrs. Bird’s (our old neighbor) blueberry pie and the Otto Fire Department’s barbeque chicken contained no convenience foods.
I suggest adding a cooked egg yolk to the biscuit for a touch more richness, if that appeals.
Substitute any soft summer fruit for the strawberries, such as raspberries, blueberries, or chopped peaches, adjusting sugar to taste. Blueberries need to be crushed slightly to prevent them from rolling off the cake. I cut the biscuit dough into four, or eight, rectangles for serving. I know my audience.
To get the most lift in your whipped cream, make sure that the mixing bowl and beaters are perfectly dry and chilled before you whip the cream.
Directions (Serves 4 to 8)
Dust the bottom of a loaf pan with flour.
To make the shortcake biscuits, place the flour, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, baking powder, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor. (Cover any openings so that you don’t get dusted with ingredients.) Pulse to combine. Running the processor on low, add the butter a piece at a time and mix until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the hard-boiled egg yolk, if using. Continue to mix on low while slowly pouring in the cream, mixing just until the dough comes together. Turn the dough into the loaf pan and gently pat it flat. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle it generously with the cornmeal, if using. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Run a knife around the edge of the dough. Invert the loaf pan onto the prepared baking sheet to release the dough. Cut the dough into four to eight biscuits. If biscuits break apart at all, just recombine them with your hands. Position the biscuits at least 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
To prepare the fruit, in a medium mixing bowl, add the sliced strawberries and gently stir in the remaining 1⁄3 cup sugar and the vinegar into the sliced berries. Cover and allow the fruit to macerate at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
To prepare the topping, whip the cream in a stand mixer just until it forms stiff peaks.
To serve, slice the biscuits in half horizontally and butter the cut sides of the biscuits. Drain the berries, reserving their syrup. Cover a biscuit half with berries, layer on the other biscuit half, cover that with berries and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Drizzle with the leftover syrup and garnish with mint and reserved berries. Serve immediately.
STACY’S PAIRING: Serving this dish for breakfast with tea is a family favorite at my house. When they hear the stand mixer whipping the cream, everyone is suddenly wide awake and ready to face the day.